Imaginary
by WitchyGirl99
Summary: I'm not crazy,' she told herself. So what if she found the dead bodies? So what if she could hear voices? It meant nothing. She wasn't a fatalist, but then she met him... InuKag MirSan
1. 5 Years Ago

**_Yes, yes I know. Another story but trust me when I say this is much different. I can't much explain it so you'll have to read to find out but whatever. Hope you like it! PS. This one I should be able to update quickly._**

**_Oh yeah, and the pairings are InuKag, MirSan, KouAya (maybe) and SessKagr (maybe)_**

**_Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha_**_**

* * *

Imaginary**_

_Prologue: 5 Years Ago_

_Beware_.

The woman stopped dead in her tracks. She stood alone in a parking lot, the streetlights flickering and suddenly, all of her senses were on edge. Her blood turned cold and the fine hairs on the back of her slender neck stood.

_It's coming._

Her eyes widened in terror. She had to leave, to go, runaway… In that instant of sheer blind panic, her ring of keys slipped from her icy grasp and fell to the asphalt below.

_Run._

Run? Run where? Anywhere… Just get away. Jerkily she bent down to grab her keys. She heard no one but someone was coming. Fate was coming.

_It's coming._

One noise, one crunch, so quiet she wouldn't have heard it if she hadn't been listening. But she heard it and it echoed in her ears like a chant of the dead. It's coming…she had to get away. Too late, it's come.

"I'm here."

Her blood turned to ice, she could no longer think. She was afraid. Hell, she was terrified. She was going to die. Fate had come.

_Run. Defy._

Defy… Defy fate? Was it even possible? Yes, yes it was. She trusted the voice. It had kept her alive, it had kept her sane. The voice had allowed her to walk the streets proudly, despite the hateful glares and constant scorn. It wasn't a curse, the voice had told her, and it was a gift. She was special and they hated her because they didn't understand. Yes, trust the voice. Run away. Defy fate.

_Go._

She tried. God, did she try. Her legs pushed forward, her body jerked but small hands grabbed her and she couldn't. She felt its power, its hate, it's all consuming evil. A single tear slipped down her cheek because she couldn't go. She couldn't run.

It was here.

Swiftly, before she could scream for mercy, for fear and for the last will of her life, she was turned around. A deadly smirk coming from blood red lips clouded her vision but soon, that oddly strange fact was put out of her mind when a gleam of cool metal flashed.

A knife…

Opening her mouth to protest, the wind was soon knocked out of her as the knife was plunged in her stomach. A muted scream left her lips as the killer drilled the knife into her, again and again, deeper and harder…

She felt cold. Her body was numb and already she was past the point of being saved. She could feel the tingle of warm liquid crimson run down from her cuts that now covered her entire body.

'Help,' she begged the voice, pleaded in her mind.

_I'm so sorry. I tried._

She understood. A sense of regret was cast upon her. The voice had tried and from the depressed, almost hesitant and weak sound of it, she knew it was true. She had tried to outrun Fate but too late did she try. She had always been a fatalist and when the voice had told her that she had to be careful or she would die, she accepted it and didn't change. That was her only regret. Now because of it, she would die alone.

_No. You're never alone._

The killer screamed and for the final time the knife was brought down with such force and agony, she felt nothing else. When she heard her killer run away, leaving the knife buried deep in her chest, it was then that she closed her eyes. She struggled to lift her bloody and weak arms to her chest and let them grasp the knife's hilt. It was buried so deeply into her heart…

Then, as if a switch had been flicked, she was in bliss. She no longer felt pain and instantly, the voice spoke in her mind.

_I'm sorry. Please forgive me._

'It's okay. I forgive you.'

Blood gurgled in her mouth as the ability to breathe was no longer possible. It was only a matter of time now. She was going to die.

_Thank you. Goodbye Kikyo._

Kikyo Hidaka, age twenty-nine, knew it was her final moment and she smiled peacefully, knowing she wouldn't be alone.

'Goodbye.'

* * *

Kagome Higurashi rubbed her sore wrists, the pain a dull beat as she slowly opened her eyes. 

'No. Not again.'

It couldn't be true, it _shouldn't_ be true. But it was. What was happening to her? Why was she…doing this?

Looking to the bottom left corner of the computer screen, Kagome gasped and shook her head, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes and blinking them until the sandpaper feel was gone. She looked again.

Three hundred and twenty-seven pages…

Three hundred and twenty-freaking-seven _pages_!

"Impossible," she heard herself murmur though she knew it wasn't true. She had done it; there was no mistaking her writing ability as she read the last three lines on the page. It was hers.

Sitting back in her leather chair at her desk, Kagome placed her hands at her temples and massaged them slowly with varied pressure. This was becoming too much.

"What's happening to me?" she groaned kind enough to her already pounding head to bang it against the wooden desk. "I." _Bang._ "Don't." _Bang._ "Get it!"

_Bang._

The pain intensified and Kagome whimpered helplessly.

"Painkillers," she muttered. "Need…painkillers."

With effort, Kagome stood up from her chair and clicked the disk button at the left top of her screen, indicating for the computer to save the work. Much to her aggravation, she noticed that it was already saved and Kagome growled.

"I'm going crazy. Painkillers darn it. Must have…"

Walking through her small bungalow towards the kitchen, Kagome raked a shaky hand through her long black locks and let out a deep breath.

"Alright Kagome," she told herself reasonably, almost amused with the firm tone in her voice. "You're not going crazy. This has only happened for what? Two weeks now? And remember, this has only occurred twice within that time."

She opened the medicine cupboard automatically and grabbed a large plastic container of red pills.

Painkillers! Thank God.

Frowning, Kagome looked at the back where it indicated the amount she should take and for what reasons.

"Mild pain…headache… Two aspirin…" Glaring at the label she shook her head and dumped the contents in her hand. Four came out.

"Good enough," she mumbled and grabbed a random glass that was previously left on her kitchen counter from that night and filled it to the top with water, not caring what else was in it. Swallowing all the pills in one gulp, Kagome hastily threw the cup into the sink a couple feet away and then walked into the bathroom.

When she entered, she wasn't even surprised to see that the figure staring back at her was ghostly pale with bags circling under her big brown eyes. She bit her lower lip nervously and then turned on the tap, splashing some water on her face and shivering at the cool feel.

"Let's try to figure this out," she told herself. "For two weeks now, ever since…ever since M-Mama passed away, I've been having these…wake-up calls." She snorted at the lightly buttered term she gave for such a monstrous sleep-killer. "Who am I kidding?" Kagome scoffed. "Randomly, at least once a week so far, I've been waking up at my desk, wrists sore and head pounding, only to find myself at my desk with my computer turned on and a fully written story complete with epilogues, prologues, full body and interesting plots and all! And worse, these are _murder_ mysteries! Not romance novels! I am a _romance novelist_. Nothing more and nothing less! The end! Book closed, story finished, end of freaking everything!"

But she knew it wasn't the end. She knew something big was about to happen.

Life-changing would be one word to describe it.

Call it an author's intuition. One who writes stories with such a punch and kick, with twists and turns that keep the reader guessing and guessing, it would be only fitting that the writer itself would get a sense of how to feel when something like that occurred in real life.

Kagome may not have written action or mysteries, but she sure did like reading about them. She loved how in the end, everything was good. Evil had lost and the good has always won. Sure, the odd time someone would be killed but never the main character and very rarely would the main character's lover.

Unless the main character's lover wasn't a main character in itself and therefore, a good plot twist could be inserted but now she was just thinking crazily.

Crazily…God that word now terrified her. For the past two weeks she had been questioning her sanity. She had been thinking strangely, almost like she was waiting for the bad guy to come out and kill her. As if she was waiting for something dramatic and life alteringto happen.

Kagome snorted as she dried the water off of her face. Yeah, right. Like _that_ would ever happen. She remembered when she had decided to go to the movies to watch a chick-flick with her friends Yuka, Ayumi and Eri but in the end, she lied her way through the movie, telling them that her best friend Miroku had called about something important. Of course, he hadn't since he was in the cinema beside hers watching a horror movie, but they didn't know that.

Or they were too engrossed with the movie to even care.

The reason Kagome left was simple. She had found herself too many times anticipating for the girlfriend to get hit with a gun by a gang leader, kidnapped and in turn, losing all her memory, cause her to become a hit-woman and killing innocents until one day she meets her long, once upon a time boyfriend and realizes she has to kill him. And _then_…

Oh God.

Her fears were confirmed.

She was definitely losing it.

That or she simply read too many books. Give or choose…

"Kagome, stop thinking like this," she ranted. "It's stupid and pointless. You're making absolutely no sense whatsoever. Now, what are we going to do about this?"

Kagome turned to stare back into the mirror.

"First of all, I'm going to have to tell-"

First of all, she was going to have to stop talking to herself. That could possibly help a bit. If not, it would dampen her assumptions of her going crazy.

Hopefully…

Okay. One step at a time, that's what she should do.

Read the story.

Kagome gulped and winced slightly, looking outside the left open bathroom door down the hall, the computer's faint light glowing brilliantly in the dark of the house.

Normally, these stories she wrote unconsciously never ended up truly happy because they usually always left something mysterious to it. A mystery unsolved with the hopes that one day, it would be.

With the way she was going about this, she doubted that it ever would be.

Kagome willed herself to move and finally made it over to her desk, the computer's screen saver now activated at the long wait and once Kagome moved the mouse slightly, her new story came up.

The story flowed; one part came to the next. It was brilliant…no. Brilliant was too meaningless of a word to describe the three hundred and twenty-seven page novel. It was the perfect story, an author's dream. Angst, mystery, romance, fantasy, a touch of supernatural, some religious being to it, action, humour and drama, it was all there.

And she wrote it.

Well, unconsciously anyways.

By the end of the story, Kagome was balling her eyes out, her pale face now flushed red with tears and her eyelashes glittered with the tears that didn't fall. Her eyes were glazed and a constant sniffing could be heard as another sob came and she continued to read the story.

She didn't stop though. She couldn't stop. It was addictive and for hours Kagome sat there, reading on and on, never stopping. At the end of it, Kagome realized that during the entire thing she hadn't once been bored. The story had kept her going and going, urging her to read it until the very last word on the very last page.

The ending was a little more than depressing but twenty-minutes afterwards, as she stared dully at the screen, she knew that the ending had just added to it. It was an amazing book.

More than that…

It was _perfect_.

Once again, Kagome rubbed her temples and took deep breaths, trying to make sense of everything. The story, the tale had been so realistic it almost made her wonder if it was a true story. The words, the characters, the plot, the outline, the outcome…all of it added to something she couldn't comprehend and half an hour later, Kagome found herself still sitting at her desk and staring at the screen, thinking about nothing other than the story she had just read.

The story she had just _written_.

She couldn't believe it. In all honesty, she just couldn't. She never wrote such horrid tales like the one she had just read. She wrote stories that normally never needed a strong forwarding plot because it was just strictly romance.

Something Kagome knew had changed.

A thrill inside her pulsed and suddenly, she couldn't really imagine a story without some mystery in it. Not the sort of mystery whether she was being too clingy or too protective, the mystery of who did it and why.

Two weeks. Two stories…

Kagome remembered the first story she had written and above the rest it had been the most traumatic. It was about a woman in her late twenties being murdered in an abandoned parking lot. The killer had been different…unexpected in criteria and yet in the end you never knew who did it or why. She was a type of medium, one who was able to talk to the dead, yet not be able to see them.

The woman's name was Kikyo and as far as Kagome was concerned, she had never known that name to exist. How she thought up a name like that, whether conscious, half-conscious or unconscious, was still a mystery to her.

The worst of everything was that she didn't know what to do about it. Her doctors –after consulting them on the first incident- told her it was merely her unconscious state exerting stress in a way that was familiar to her body.

Not her mind. She didn't write murders.

For the fact that she didn't want to be thrown in a padded room, she kept the information about writing descriptive and terrifying deaths and stated that it was romance novels instead.

Like she normally did…

Which brought the question: what is normal?

She thought by telling her doctor she'd be taking a step ahead to solve the problem but really, she took two steps back. It had just made her doubt her sanity and self as a person.

_You think you've got a foot in the door but you've got a foot in the grave…_

Grave…

Just like poor sweet Rin.

Tears were once again brought to Kagome's eyes as she blinked rapidly, remembering the second story, the story she had just read about twenty-six year old Rin Noto who laid peacefully in the dirt in a vast field, her arrangement by the killer meant to bring shock.

'_When she was found the next morning, nothing could stop the fear and horror that had befallen the group and seeped into their bones. Rin's lips were curved into a smile and other than the paleness of her flesh, it looked like she was sleeping, bathed in the sun's morning rays of tranquility. Her white nightgown –now stained blood red- was surprisingly untouched other than the slash in the direct center of her chest. That and the large slash at her throat –the cause of most blood- in which caused the beautiful Rin to be nearly decapitated. _

'_The most shocking though, was the layout of the girl. Around her body in a rectangle where large stones of varied colours and right above her head, a large cross made of two small planks of wood stood, the black block lettered words 'Die' startling. _

'_But the scariest of all on that summer's morning was that the knife that had killed her lay in her grasp as if she treasured it, and her innocent eyes that had been the gateway for her soul were left open, glaring at them accusingly.'_

And to think, that was the final chapter.

The final words…

Kagome unconsciously held a small pink jewel necklace for a moment and then shut her computer down, not exactly knowing how long the thing was running. Making her way into her fully-furnished kitchen, Kagome gasped when she saw the time.

It was two in the morning.

Weakness got her in the knees but Kagome forced herself to stay up and push those long ago thoughts to the back of her mind. It was over now.

He was gone.

He would never find her.

Grabbing her cell that occupied a space on the kitchen counter, Kagome dialled from memory Miroku Tsujitani's phone number.

Kagome had known Miroku since she was a little girl when she had once lived in a lodge type hotel where both her parents had lived. His uncle was a manager there and she had met him in the gardens. They had been best friends ever since. Even after they moved out when she was eight, they had kept in touch and occasionally (at least once a week but he claims longer) saw each other and went to parks and movies.

Now, he was practically her brother.

"_Kagome? Do you know what time it is?"_

"Yeah but Miroku, it happened again. I think you should come and look at this."

Grumbling could be heard on the other side and Miroku made a curt answer that Kagome couldn't make out. She was focusing more on the creaking of her wood floors.

Footsteps…

Kagome looked to the time. Two-oh-five…

"Jesus," Kagome cursed when she saw a shadow and spun around.

"Boo," came a deep voice from behind and Kagome barely even had time to scream before she was knocked out.

"_Kagome? Kagome!"_ Miroku screamed on the other end but was only replied with the beeping of a dead line.

* * *

**_There you have it, the end of the prologue. I'm not sure how this will all work out in the end but meh, I'll cross that bridge when I get to it. Now, if you read my story Music, Fame and Hell I think you should be able to tell the difference in my writing. If you can't, then it's probably just me and it would be best to ignore my ramblings._**

**_Review!_**

**_WitchyGirl99_**


	2. Nightmare

_**Wow, thanks for all the reviews every one of you! It made me all tingly inside :P**_

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha**_

_**

* * *

Imaginary**_

_Chapter One: Nightmare_

"What are you doing?"

"Well, what does it look like?"

Kagome snorted. "It looks like you're drooling over those girls over there, you letch."

Miroku only smiled his charming smile that flashed sparkling white teeth towards her and walked away, making his way towards three young women in their late twenties who wore skirts that hung inches below their waists and only a couple more inches until the fabric ended.

And to think, that was the _style_ nowadays.

God, this made her feel old.

Kagome looked around the parking lot as she stood just outside the grocery store, trying to ignore Miroku's luring voice towards the ladies.

_Slap_

Serves him right!

When she heard footsteps approaching from behind, Kagome merely tucked a strand of raven waist-length hair behind her ear and sighed. "When will we ever find a girl that will knock enough sense into you? Honestly Miroku, you need a good dose of reality. It's not healthy to be stroking random women when you walk by them. You're thirty-four for God's sake! You'd think you'd have outgrown that habit."

Miroku laughed, his violet eyes twinkling. "Old habits die hard. Not only that but I believe in looking reality straight in the eye and denying it."

Kagome stared at Miroku, deadpanned. "Kurt Vonnegut?" she asked, picking up the several plastic bags of a week's worth in groceries while Miroku picked up the last few.

"No," he said with another disarming smile. "Garrison Keillor," Miroku told her, referring to the creator of the previous quote.

"Unbelievable," Kagome commented and sighed, walking to her Maserati convertible and unlocking it. Throwing the groceries in the trunk, Kagome hopped in the front seat where Miroku waited for her.

"So are we almost there?" he asked, a twinge of whining ringing in his tone.

"Twenty minutes max," she confirmed as started her car, pulling out of the parking lot and driving back onto the main two-lane highway that led to the small town of Trite.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Miroku asked, turning in his seat to face the girl beside him. "I mean, do you want to move out of the city? You've always loved it there. I know things in the past have been…edgy…but you always loved the nightlife and the fun of it all."

"I need to grow up Miroku," Kagome told him stiffly. "We've been through this. After Mama died and since I have no blood relatives, I'm the only one that had the possibility of inheriting Grandpa's shrine. It's in a small town where everyone knows everyone, and think of it this way. There are now going to be less people to bug me and follow me when I go to buy a morning coffee."

"Well, you _are_ the number one selling authoress at the moment," Miroku reminded her gently. "Your new murder trilogy was truly remarkable."

"You've said that about _all_ my murder mystery books," Kagome said tediously and sighed, shaking her head. "No Miroku. There is no talking me out of this. I need quiet now. I need…peace."

Miroku watched Kagome's strained face as she drove, occasionally looking at signs that directed them through town. He knew she wasn't telling him something. She was holding back and Miroku wasn't the type of guy to let her get away with it.

"Kagome…this isn't about what happened five years ago, is it?"

The colour visibly drained out of her face but her stiff upper lip didn't give and her face remained completely expressionless. The silence was enough of an answer from her but Miroku wasn't going to let her off that easily. Before he could continue though, she spoke.

"You know full-well it-"

"Is," Miroku cut in. "Kagome, he's-"

"I _know_," Kagome interrupted harshly.

Sensing her dangerous shaking anger, Miroku decided to back off. There was no point in bringing out old skeletons.

For another fifteen minutes, the two didn't talk. It wasn't until they were in the heart of the town of Trite and stopped that they noticed each other because heading their way was a casually dressed cop –he drove in a police cruiser- who sauntered slowly and leisurely towards them.

The top of her car was already down because of the summer's air so Kagome just rolled down her window. "Hello officer," she said politely, smiling. "Is something wrong?" It wasn't until she looked up that she realized what the true meaning of beautiful was.

Long silver waist-length hair blew in the wind and his tall six foot strong build was not only reassuring but highly attractive. He wore black shades that covered his eyes much to her disappointment but when she noticed the two furry appendages on top of his silver mane, she almost giggled.

'Half demon,' she thought, feeling his demonic presence.

"Tourists?" he asked, not caring for an introduction.

"No," Kagome said. "We're new residents. I'm Ka-"

"For the old man's shrine?" the officer asked, raising a brow. "You two don't look like the kind of couple to settle down."

Kagome blushed. "What? N-no! He –Miroku –friend -good…you?"

Miroku laughed full-heartedly. "I wish, with someone with a butt like hers? Fantasies were never-"

_Slap_

"Lecher," Kagome shot out and looked towards the now amused officer. "He's my friend, stupid pervert."

Again, the brow was lifted. "Who happens to be moving in with you? Oh…I see." He smirked and Miroku smiled though he was smart enough to explain.

"I'm her manager too. Not only that but we've been best friends for almost thirty years."

"Okay." Suddenly, he turned around and walked back to his car, opening the door and sitting inside. Just before he started it though, Kagome yelled out to him.

"That's it?"

Seeing that no one was on the road, he drove his car from the side behind her to right beside her in the middle of the lane. Rolling down his window, he scowled. "Yeah…"

Kagome grew confused. "And the point of that little chit-chat was…?"

"None of your business," he retorted.

Then, he took off.

* * *

"Why that no good, pompous, jerk-faced, moronic, idiot of a being!" Kagome screamed as she stormed in the vaguely familiar house and dropped the bags of food on the counter in the kitchen. "He was- how can- doesn't understand…ugh! I just don't get it!"

Miroku walked in warily, carrying heavy luggage and dumping it in the middle of the hall that led to the bedrooms. "Maybe he's new?" Miroku suggested, shrugging when he sat down on the chair in the kitchen.

"He isn't," Kagome answered abruptly, already starting to put food away. "For the large amount of egotistical ignorance and the fact that he parked in the middle of the highway, I'm positive he's been around for awhile."

Miroku sighed, he should have known.

"Plus," Kagome rambled on, "he was very casual if not extremely rude and no ordinary officer would just leave randomly. He didn't even have an excuse to approach us!"

Shaking his head, Miroku just looked out the window that their table looked out on. Miroku thought that if Kagome had ever been a detective, she would probably be one of the best profilers around. She just had this uncanny knack to understand people just by a glance or the way they did something.

"I'm going to take a look around," Miroku said quietly as Kagome nodded and finished filling the cupboards. Leaving the kitchen, Miroku walked out into the main hall that led to the front entrance. Just when you walk in, to the first room on the right through the doorway there was a large and cozy family room with a television, couches and small tables. If you continued down straight you would end up in the kitchen but if you turned to the hall that turned to the right, you would go down the bedroom hall where the line-up of three bedrooms were, each coming with their own bathroom adjoined.

"Which is my room?" Miroku called over his shoulder as he picked up his couple suitcases. "And which is yours? I'll bring the luggage into the rooms."

Kagome appeared out of the kitchen and shrugged. "I already picked out the room on the left but there are two rooms on the right side. Whatever one you want I guess."

Miroku smiled and casually picked up the bags, tossing them into the room to the right that was furthest down the hall and then placing Kagome's neatly on her bed. He was about to unpack his clothes when he heard Kagome call him in for lunch.

"Thanks Kagome," Miroku said as he sat down at the table that could fit four, taking up his fork and knife and eating the food in front of him.

"So, what do you feel like doing after lunch?" Kagome asked.

Thinking about it, Miroku tilted his head to one way and then the other. "I guess before dinner we should drive through town. I'd like to see what other stores they have and how good they are."

"You mean you want to see how many lingerie stores they have and how many chicks work at each."

Pouting, Miroku put a hand over his heart, his head bowed. "That hurt. I assure you I wanted to do no such thing."

"But you _thought_ of such a thing," Kagome corrected and then brushed the crumbs from her sandwich over her plate. "Anyways, I need the good locks installed by tomorrow. Grandpa had a fairly good alarm system so at least we won't need a new one."

Looking Kagome straight in the eye, Miroku asked, "This is tormenting you every day, isn't it?"

Kagome didn't look away. "Of course, what happened…? I…"

"Shush," Miroku said gently. "Don't need to tell me. Just answer me this. Do you _ever_ go a day without thinking about it?"

This time, Kagome did look away, finding the coloured knots in the table interesting. "Never," she finally answered. "It is the first thought that enters my mind in the morning and the last thought before I go to bed. Sometimes, it's like a nightmare, only this time I'm not waking up from one, I'm waking up _into_ one."

* * *

Trite.

What a joke. What a hell of a joke.

The founder must have had some wicked sense of humour when he named this town.

Or, he could've been drunk.

Both were likely possibilities though the latter stayed truer to mind.

Inuyasha Taisho sat at his desk, his silver hair spilling over the edge of his leather seat that was currently leaning on two legs instead of four. His eyes were closed and his head was back as he listened to the silent world in his office.

Trite was one of the smallest towns in what he considered to be the world, the place barely eligible to be on a map until five years ago. Hell, he would rather not go there.

Sighing in boredom, Inuyasha put all legs of the chair back on the floor and then gazed around his desk, papers scattered, junk littered and garbage surrounding the large spacious desk he was provided with when getting the job as the chief of Trite.

How ironic.

Trite, now proud to be mentioned in a regular map, was a town of no crime. The worst case they had was the odd murder when a couple drunks went at it and ended up killing the other before walking into the street because of their own stupor and getting hit. Cases like that were actually the most common and it made the police's work a lot simpler since the evidence was normally all too clear. They might as well have had the clues in neon.

So despite the odd door to door "can you please turn down the music" calls or the random if not annoying yet entertaining calls to help open a beer bottle for an eighty year old lady, things could be considered pretty tame.

Why, oh _why_, did he choose to stay here?

Years ago he had the opportunity to go to the city and take his skills to the next level, bringing them forward a notch and giving his instincts something to strive for and work harder on. But then he got the opportunity to be chief of the department and with the fair priced pay check compared to the money that would have been spent if he left, he decided to stay here.

In Trite: a.k.a boring as Hell.

Vaguely, Inuyasha wondered if he should clean his desk since it had all the possibilities of containing dead bugs, mold off month old food and important papers that should be filed neatly away. The thought was quickly diminished though, when he realized how much work he would need to be put into doing that.

After being lazy in this town for five years, old habits would have to die hard because Inuyasha Taisho was not going to move.

Leaning back on his chair, Inuyasha closed his eyes, humming to himself randomly as he lulled himself to sleep.

Then he heard footsteps with a soft knock came from outside the door.

"Come in Sango. What do you got?"

Sango Houko walked into his office, shutting the door behind her with a mellifluous click and making her way towards his desk, her high no-nonsense ponytail of black straight hair swaying behind her.

"Hey chief, tired?"

"More or less," he answered with a shrug. He glanced at Sango quickly before closing his eyes again. "Why are you dressed like that?"

Sango flushed, looking down at her outrageous attire. Stilettos that could break anyone's foot were on her feet and a tight leather black skirt with a v-neck black leather top was her only other attire. For once, Sango had makeup other than light eye shadow and wore so much foundation he thought the mask would crack if any more was applied.

Indignant now, Sango crossed her arms over her chest, hoping to cover as much skin as possible. "I just finished that last call. The one I had to go undercover on?"

Smirking to himself, Inuyasha nodded.

When a book came into contact with his head, Inuyasha growled and sat back down properly on his chair, all four legs grounded. "Feh! I know. Relax, it was a tough case. Did you get everything done?"

She nodded. "Yeah, I did. We have enough to prosecute him now, that old drunk," she murmured. "Anyways, I also found out some other important things so overtime pay is necessary."

Raising his hands, palms forwards, Inuyasha shook his head. "Don't look at me. I want the same thing but before you tell me anything, wouldn't you want to change first?"

Calm now, Sango didn't even flinch. "No, this is too important. I can change later. First of all, I want to know what you were doing on the outskirts of Trite."

"None of your business," he snorted, repeated the same thing he had said towards the new girl.

"Right, whatever… Why do I have the feeling you went to check out that couple that's moving in?"

"They're not a couple," Inuyasha replied automatically. "Best friends for thirty years."

Smiling, obviously impressed, Sango sat down in the chair opposite to his by his desk. "You got that much personal out of them?"

"They had some…explaining to do on their part," he muttered but when Sango just shot him a questioning look, he ignored her. "Anyways, what's so important?"

Sango unconsciously bit her thumbnail and then sighed. "Well, I overheard some stuff…"

"What kind?"

"Odd, interesting stuff I guess."

Inuyasha scoffed. "Can you just get to the point Sango? I don't have all day you know!"

She shook her head sadly, knowing that was exactly what he had but didn't comment. She knew this was going to hurt him, more than he probably would ever admit. She would expect nothing less then his office being trashed and his desk ruined into sawdust.

"Inuyasha," she said uneasily. "He's back."

* * *

She couldn't remember what had happened to her.

Hazily, she remembered taking sleeping pills before saying goodnight to Miroku and then laying down on the new bed, the pillows especially soft. But now...?

Where in the world _was _she?

Her eyes wouldn't open but Kagome could feel tense back muscles and arm muscles aching and crying out to be kneaded. And for some strange reason, she had the feeling that she was sitting up.

And that brought her back to her previous question.

Where?

A light noise could be heard but other than that, not a sound was made through the house. What was that noise?

She didn't know.

It sounded like…a fan.

Her eyes squeezing closed in hopes to open them, she nibbled her bottom lip when the scratchy feel of sleep in her eyes bugged her. Her body was sore and she realized before everything became clear that it was dark, just turning light and she was sitting straight up in a leather seat.

She was at a desk.

Her muscles were sore, especially her wrists.

She swore out loud and opened her eyes hastily, fearing for the worst.

And then her nightmare came true.

She was sitting at the small wooden desk in her room where she had set up all her writing equipment, included her laptop that never left her sight.

Running on it was a word program and reading the last three sentences, she concluded that the writing was hers.

It was happening again.

Oh no. Please God no.

But it was.

She sat at her desk, computer running, with a newly made story of another woman's murder fresh on the page.

It was five hundred and seventy-nine pages long.

And all Kagome did was sit there, crying, hoping that this was all just a dream.

The voices were back…

* * *

**_My email address changed. I now have two accounts. Feel free to add me to MSN messenger and/or email me with any questions. I will respond._**

_**Next Chapter: Lies - **"The killer made sure to watch the face as the hands that held her neck strangled her. Evil watched her die with a smile on its lips."_

_**Review!**_


	3. Lies

_**Hey, I'm back! Sorry for the late update! (Stupid teachers...) Thanks for the reviews!**_

**_Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha_**

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_Chapter Two: Lies_

This wasn't happening. Not again, not now.

For five hours, Kagome read the masterpiece –her masterpiece. She was barely aware as the time ticked by, hours and hours on end until finally the last page was read. Once more it was a murder mystery, filled with fear, hurt and suspense about another poor female victim named Yuri. But this time, something was different. This time the last three words at the end of the story wasn't 'happily ever after' it was…

"To be continued," she voiced the sound low and hoarse.

Now, she had written trilogies and sequels before but this kind of masterpiece? The story was just like the ones she wrote five years ago, all of them leaving you in fitful suspense. So did that mean loose strings would be tied? Would the killer of the books ever be caught?

Or was that, like the theories, only possibilities too?

She stood up; making sure the work was saved and then checked the clock on the microwave. It was six o'clock am.

_Get out._

Kagome whimpered the voices had come again. Like thousands of conversations at once, loud enough to make her hear but quiet enough so that it was like the raging party in the apartment next to you.

If you could call that quiet…

But one, only one of those voices stuck out. It was chilling, soulless and feminine. Kagome knew why it sounded that way. It was because it was the voice of a woman, dead.

_Kagome…please._

"No," Kagome hissed into the darkness. "Who are you? Why are you back?"

_I never left._

"Yes, you did," Kagome accused. "The voices, the _things _I heard like I hear now were so quiet, I barely even knew they were there and you left."

_I was still there Kagome. It just wasn't time._

"Time for what? What are you going on about?"

_Go out Kagome. Follow your instincts._

"Why should I?" Kagome whispered fiercely.

_Trust me._

Kagome laughed bitterly. "You? You're the one that said I wasn't crazy. Clearly, I have some mental illness or I wouldn't hear you right now."

_You're not ill. You're a medium._

"Oh that's right," Kagome mocked. "I'm a _special_ medium because I can only _talk_ to dead people and not see them."

_Yes._

"I'm crazy," she said absentmindedly. "Though the doctors would always put it differently or more gently, the truth is, I'm crazy."

_They don't understand. Paranormal abilities are scoffed at and because they can't explain it, they deem us ill._

"And you would know this…?" Kagome went on, merely to humour her 'imaginary friend' as she called her.

_Because I was alive once and I was like you._

"Oh, so you had black hair too?"

_You know what I mean._

Kagome shivered unconsciously, hearing the distinctly cold tone in her voice as she said it. She sounded…hollow almost. The note made Kagome think, almost questioningly. What would a dead person –who randomly happened to be with _her_ of all people-, want to talk with her if not for an important reason? What would she get out of it?

_I need your help Kagome._

It was freaky how she could read her mind.

_You have to trust me. Lives are at stake._

"Lives? Wait, I don't understand. Who are you?"

_That's not important. Not now. Just go._

"But where do I go?" Kagome asked desperately. "Maybe I should get Miroku-"

_No. You must go alone. Trust me. Follow your instincts._

Kagome snorted but didn't argue and grabbed a light spring jacket before unlocking the front door and stepping out into the brink morning air. Dew still clung to the green grass and the sun was just starting to rise; the horizon purple and tinged pink.

"Wow," Kagome breathed but didn't wait any longer to watch the sun because somehow inside her, an internal clock was ticking. Time was costly.

For whatever reason, Kagome started down the long winding driveway and then down the paved road, jogging when she felt the need to move forward intensify. She still had no reason to be moving, no reason to push herself forward into a run but it was there, deep within her and a guiding force kept her going.

'This is absurd,' she thought wildly. 'Why am I doing this, because my imaginary friend told me so?'

_Just a little bit further._

Inside of her, Kagome knew her imaginary friend was right. Something was happening and for some reason, she felt as though she was the only one that could help.

Jumping down a ditch and running up the other side, Kagome heaved as she pushed herself to continue on, now leaving the road and sprinting across a farmer's field. The land rolled and many hills and ditches covered the land. Kagome didn't have a clue what she was looking for but she knew she'd understand once it was found.

She hoped.

Leaping over ditches and whipping her head side to side in hopes of catching a glance for whatever she was looking for, Kagome didn't know what happened next until her cheek made contact with the mud ground. Growling in frustration, she berated herself.

"This is stupid Kagome! Nothing is wrong. You're imagining things again…"

When Kagome stood up though, her breath caught short as she stared at the horror that caused her to trip.

Down at her feet laid a woman in her thirties with long black hair and long red nails. Her lips ravished a full pout though now the lips were chapped and taught, her mouth echoing a long forgotten scream.

It didn't take Kagome long to realize that this was Yuri, the woman in her story. The woman who had almost been sliced to perfection with parallel lines and with blood pooling the ground around her.

"No," Kagome choked out, scrambling for words. "It can't be…I'm just _thinking_ this is Yuri, the character in my story. It's must only be mere coincidence that they died that _exact same way._"

Kagome studied the dead woman, tears brought to her eyes. Remembering one of the last lines in the book, she wondered…

She didn't want to disturb the murder scene but of course, she already had with her footprints. It was just…Yuri's hands were clasped, holding something, exactly the way her story had. It was never explained what was in the woman's grasp so Kagome was curious.

_Don't do it. Not now._

"W-why?" Kagome asked, wondering how her imaginary friend knew what she was going to do.

_Trust me._

"How many times have you told me to do that? I did trust you and look what you made me find! A dead body! Was this what I was looking for?"

_Yes._

"Why me?" Kagome sobbed out. "It's not fair…"

_Get help._

"Oh, I'm positive I will," Kagome went on wryly. "I'll need years of therapy after this." Before the voice could tell her again though, Kagome sprinted off with renewed vigour and made it to the road, running for about another half-hour before making it to the house where Miroku was waiting patiently.

"Where were you?" he demanded. "I was worried sick! You didn't even have your cell! Where-"

"Shut up Miroku," Kagome said calmly and grabbed the cell that was left on her night table. Dialling 911, she took deep breaths as she waited for a voice on the other end. When it came, everything was blurted out so fast that Kagome had a hard time remembering afterwards what she said.

"_Where is the location?"_ the male on the other end asked gently and Kagome shook her head.

"I'm not sure. I just moved here. I could point it out to them though. I know exactly the spot in the farmer's field…"

Arrangements were made and soon Kagome was in the middle of the road, flagging down the speeding cars that almost zoomed past her.

The first person to get out of the car was a tall woman about her height with long black hair in a high ponytail and milky brown eyes. She approached Kagome, her face grim. "Hello, Ms. Higurashi?"

Kagome nodded and unconsciously grabbed the long hanging necklace that her mother gave her, thumbing the soft pink jewel as she spoke. "Call me Kagome. This," she tilted her head to the right towards Miroku, "is Miroku Tsujitani. We just moved in the old shrine down the road somewhat yesterday."

The woman nodded. "I'm Sango Houko, head of investigation. Though I'm positive it's all clear, I'll get my men to check the area while we wait for the chief."

Letting go of her necklace, Kagome bit her lip nervously. "I mentioned it before to the man on the phone but…I ran into the body, literally. I tripped over her."

Sango looked at the field that lay out before her and frowned. "This is private property. The body obviously isn't in sight. Why did you trespass?"

Kagome started, unsure of what to say but being the author she was, a story came easily to mind. "My dog, Spot, ran away from me. He must have smelt the blood. I ran after him and wasn't paying attention to where I was going until I tripped and fell… That's when I found her."

"How original," Sango murmured.

Kagome didn't know whether she meant the dog's name or the tale but she didn't want to think about it. She had just lied to the police. She didn't have a dog but what was she going to tell them? 'Oh, my imaginary friend told me that something was somewhere and I had to follow my gut feeling to find it? And it just so happens that I'm a medium and able to talk to dead people? Oh! And by the way, my imaginary friend is dead too, thank you very much.'

Hell, she didn't even believe it.

She just hoped Miroku wouldn't open his mouth and go against her. He didn't know where she was, she didn't have a dog, she found a dead body and she didn't have an alibi. If anything, she would be the first to be suspected of murder.

Jesus.

"And where is the dog now?" Sango asked.

"At my mother's," Kagome said automatically. That was another lie but she couldn't stop now. "I told her to pick him up since I guessed that with everything that's happening, I wouldn't be around much."

Sango Houko raised a brow at that statement but said nothing, merely looked down the road as a black Tahoe sped down and braked abruptly before them. When the driver stepped out of the door, Kagome's heart dropped out of her stomach and then leapt to her throat almost simultaneously.

"Chief," Sango said professionally, "Kagome Higurashi and Miroku Tsujitani. Ms. Higurashi was the one that found the body. Mr. Tsujitani was at their home in the-"

"Old man's shrine, I know."

There stood the same officer with silver hair, his shades still covering his eyes and his cocky smirk still in place as he glanced at her. "We've met. Right princess?"

"Then Ms. Higurashi Mr. Tsujitani, this is Inuyasha Taisho, the chief."

Kagome bristled at his previous comment but said nothing and looked at Sango. "Shall we?"

Sango nodded and together, the four of them crossed the field, the owner growling furiously though his face was pale in shock about what was happening. They walked for several feet, none of them speaking a word. Kagome stopped short about forty-feet from the body and then pointed to the hill that covered the body.

"She's there, behind the slope. She's…she's slashed everywhere."

"Come on then," Inuyasha said grimly. "From what I've heard your footprints are everywhere. You looking at her won't make a difference."

Glaring daggers at the chief's back, Kagome followed him from behind. When he stopped short, Kagome was taken by surprised and ended up crashing into him. His muscles were tense and his furry white ears flicked back towards her and then forward on the dead body only a couple feet away from him.

Sango gasped slightly when she saw the body and Miroku stumbled backwards, looking at the bloody mess. The colour in Miroku's face drained away faster than water in the sink and then he turned around, sprinting as far as he could before he threw up his breakfast that he had eaten while waiting for Kagome to come back.

"I'm surprised you're not following behind him," Inuyasha said, looking away from the woman. "Unless you already did the first time you…bumped into her."

A lump formed in Kagome's throat but she looked down towards the body and blinked away tears. "No," she whispered. "I didn't. It wasn't much of a…" Kagome shook her head, close to admitting something she shouldn't have. "Never mind, I'm rambling."

Inuyasha stared at her for a moment long through his glasses but then looked to Sango. "When is Hachi going to get here?"

"Soon," she replied ruefully, "I hope."

"Hachi…?" Kagome asked.

"The coroner," Inuyasha said without thought, as if he didn't care that she burst into tears before him.

Which is exactly what Kagome did.

Tears flowed heavily and Kagome crumpled down to the ground. "Oh my God… Oh my God… I hate you!" Kagome screamed, referring to her imaginary friend. She wished she never listened to her. But then again, the body might not have been found for days yet and evidence would be harder to find by then.

Inuyasha stood there, looking down at the crying woman worriedly. He looked towards Sango desperately who shook her head.

"You brought this on," she whispered, only loud enough for him to hear. "That was harsh and cruel, bastard."

Growling, Inuyasha bent down and took off his sunglasses so he could see her better. She was pretty, a little thin but not without curves and long wild hair that was thick and a dark midnight shade. Her slender hands covered her face and her chest went up and down as it wracked with sobs.

"Shh, stop crying."

If anything, she started to cry harder. He looked back up to Sango but she seemed to be talking to Miroku, probably restraining him from coming over and attempting to beat him up –as he could tell from the red face and tight line of his lips.

"Come on," Inuyasha pleaded, pulling her hands away from her face and taking them in his. "Please stop crying! I'm…I'm…aw, damn it, I'm s-s-_sorry_."

Kagome looked up stunned, giving him a confused look. "What?"

He frowned at the fact she wanted him to repeat his apology but did it anyways. "I'm sorry. That was uncalled for."

"Damn straight!" she yelled. "You would think you would, if anything, say it behind my back, but to my _face_? You're horrible!"

Inuyasha winced. "Thanks. Anyways, come on now. Stop crying. You're boyfriend is being restrained right now from killing me and I think Sango is getting pretty tired Ms. Higurashi."

"Like I said –or started to say before you cut me off- earlier yesterday morning, my name is Kagome. Just call me that and the same goes for Miroku _and_ he's not my boyfriend."

She gave him a stern look and Inuyasha winced once more. He never knew such a woman to give him such a hard time. She was practically recalling everything and throwing it back at him! Still, the feeling of guilt was inside him and he helped her up. "Then call me Inuyasha."

"Thanks," Kagome said quietly and once she stood up fully, she wiped away the dirt that stuck to her knees. She waved Miroku and Sango over and Miroku stormed over, giving Inuyasha a warning look before looking back to the body.

"God, that's disgusting. Who could do such a thing?"

Kagome followed his gaze and answered almost automatically, her mind suddenly in a trance. They were calling her…pleading with her… "A broken mind."

Inuyasha nodded and looked towards Sango. "What do you think the cause of death was? Do you think she bled?-"

"No," Kagome answered, her voice hollow, haunted. "No. That's not how it was done."

Inuyasha looked towards Kagome, eyeing her suspiciously. "What do you mean? How would you know?"

"The killer wanted to see her face. Her terror."

Miroku placed a hand on Kagome's arm, shaking her slightly. "Kagome, stop this. Come on. Let's get back to the shrine."

Kagome merely shrugged her arm out of his grasp and walked closer towards the body, almost right beside it. "You won't find footprints and you won't find any fingerprints either. The killer was careful. The plan was very thought out."

"What is she doing?" Sango asked Miroku. "She looks like she's in a trance."

"She has a…history…" Miroku started. He was about to continue when Kagome bent down, almost touching the body.

"They lied Miroku," she murmured. "Just like she did. Just like Yuri."

"How does she know Yuri's name? How does she know that's Yuri's body?" Inuyasha asked. "Did you meet her yesterday? At the market maybe?"

"No," Miroku shook his head, surprised. "We didn't talk to anyone and the place was practically deserted. I never knew this woman existed."

"Rage, hate…that's what caused Yuri to die. The killer didn't like the way she looked. It was too familiar. Too painful. The killer made sure to watch the face as the hands that held her neck strangled her. Evil watched her die with a smile on its lips."

Kagome unfolded Yuri's hands and tilted her head curiously when she saw the object in it. It was a black shard that had an inner glow of pink. Pulling out her necklace from under her t-shirt, Kagome stared at the half-piece of jewellery.

"It's part of the other half of my necklace…" she murmured and then, she stiffened, her eyes grew dull and her pupils enlarged until only a thin rim of her chocolate brown eyes were left.

Kagome then spoke distantly as if she were in a far away place as she recited the last paragraph of her story. _"And there she laid, forever in lost slumber in a land to never be comprehended. Killed for no sin but killed by sin itself, her features forever destroyed because in this case, looks can kill."_

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**_Next Chapter: Unsure -_**_"The chill of death," Kagome muttered, "is a horrible thing. I…I didn't expect it. It was just when I saw her, something inside of me clicked and everything was going through me so fast, I couldn't stop."_

**_Review!_**


	4. Unsure

_**Do you know what's painful? Trampolines. Especially when you smash down on the bar. I have the funniest feeling I won't be able to walk tomorrow...**_

_**Thanks for the reviews!**_

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha -sigh-**

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Chapter Three: Unsure

Miroku cursed and ran towards Kagome, grasping her shoulders gently as if he would break her and then shaking her.

"Kagome, snap out of it! Pull away!"

"What the hell is going on?" Inuyasha roared. "Get her out of there. Bring her to my truck and leave her in there. Get Kouga to watch her, I don't care! Just get her out!"

Kagome seemed frozen and was mumbling parts of sentences, never completing one and never stopping.

"What's wrong with her?" Sango asked Miroku as she went to help him carry Kagome. "What is she saying?"

"I'll explain later," Miroku said. "Let's bring her to the truck."

As Sango and Miroku brought Kagome to the road, Inuyasha gave Ayame, a female officer, orders to watch the scene until he got back. Once they got Kagome into the hot truck, her mumbling ceased but her body became covered by Goosebumps and she was shivering uncontrollably despite the heat.

"She's in the truck," Inuyasha said, nodding towards the freezing girl. "So do you mind explaining some things?"

Miroku seemed to hesitate, eyeing his female friend for a moment before sighing and rubbing his temples. "Kagome is…different. Doctors claim she's…ill –for a better term- but I know she isn't."

"Hold up," Inuyasha said. "She's _crazy_?"

"No!" Miroku yelled, glaring at Inuyasha before looking at Sango. "I know for a fact that she isn't but there are no explanations to explain what's wrong with her. I know the answer but despite what I say, she won't listen. The doctors have really done a number on her."

"So, Kagome is sick with some sort of disease that makes her mumble and shiver hysterically and there is no cure or explanation for it?"

"It's not a disease," Miroku said slowly. "Kagome has been told most of her life that she's mentally ill, but like I said, she's not so don't start treating her differently."

"And how would you know?" Inuyasha asked, this entire time remaining skeptical. "You seem pretty confident against those doctors."

"Let me try to put this simply," Miroku said slowly unsure of the end result. "Kagome can talk to the dead. Twenty-four seven she hears their voices in the back of her mind and she's helpless against it. Kagome is a medium and I know this because my mother was psychic, she had the sight."

* * *

_Finally, I found her._

_She found it._

_I've been waiting years to do this. _

_Years._

_She will pay for what she did to me, but first, I'll make them pay._

_All of them._

_Those bitches will die…_

_And each of them will get a token of my loving affection…

* * *

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"ETD?" Inuyasha asked the coroner who sat there bent over the dead body of Yuri Wadena.

"I won't know for sure until later when I do a better examination," Hachi Nakajima said professionally, arching his back and then straightened up until he stood. "I'd say about one a.m. though, or around there. The cause of death is strangulation."

"So the cuts are post-mortem?" Inuyasha asked, dreading the answer.

"Yes, and done with some care," Hachi murmured. "It was done right after Ms. Wadena died, so that's the reason there is so much blood. I'd say this is the murder scene of course since there was no trail and all the blood is here. I'll get more results later though."

"Thanks Hachi," Inuyasha said quietly and then turned around, facing the road where he could still see the figure of Kagome leaning against the passenger door of his truck, huddled there rubbing her arms. "Well, she was right about Yuri's death," he told himself, remembering the resulting conversation with Miroku.

"_Kagome is a medium and so far, she can here the voices of the dead. A true medium can actually see the dead though Kagome has never told me she could. Psychic abilities are highly doubted because the abilities are rare. She doesn't believe it herself which is a great problem because she can never come to terms with it until she does."_

He didn't believe it either of course. Kagome could talk to dead people and hear their voices? Yeah, right.

Bullshit.

Weary now, Inuyasha walked over to her, feeling uneasy because of what he was told and because his demon senses were always going haywire when he approached her. Maybe Miroku was telling the truth?

Nah.

He couldn't be.

"Is it Yuri?" Kagome whispered in such a low voice that Inuyasha, even with his good hearing, could barely make it out.

He nodded solemnly. "Yes, it is. How did you know about her?"

"I…I didn't."

Inuyasha narrowed his eyes at her. "That's not what I want to hear Kagome. How did you know Yuri?"

"I'm telling the truth," Kagome said, her gaze down at the ground. "I've never seen her before in my life. We just moved here yesterday remember? I've been here once before but just to look around. I had come in late because of my work and didn't go anywhere but the shrine."

"Is there anyone that can prove that?" he asked out of habit, not because he was being rude though he _could_ have put it more gently.

Now her eyes met his, the brown colour back and the pupils normal-sized. "No," she told him firmly. "I came alone."

"Okay, we can go to the station and do this, which we'll probably have to do anyways, but do you want to explain to me how you found the body?"

"I was having a walk; I couldn't sleep and brought my dog Spot with me. Spot must have smelt the blood because he ran away into the field. I followed him and didn't watch what I was doing and tripped over the body. I called Spot back and then called 911 once I got back to the shrine. Miroku was already up so he called my mother to come and pick up the dog. She did."

"And where does your mother live?" Inuyasha asked.

Kagome shrugged, not letting her panic show. "Everywhere basically, she moves around a lot. Travels, you know? She's that age where she wants to see the world."

Inuyasha face grew taught and he growled. "You're lying."

"No, I'm not."

Inuyasha laughed acrimoniously. "You didn't answer the question directly. We found no prints other than yours in the field and with the dirt the way it is, the dog's prints should have been clearly visible. Plus, I don't smell a dog's scent here either and your scent is telling me you're lying…a lot."

"Then tell me if this is a lie," Kagome shot at him dangerously. "I did not kill Yuri."

Without waiting for an answer, Kagome walked off to her car and unlocked it, sitting in the front seat and then looking back towards Inuyasha. "Sorry chief, I have to go. Send whoever you want to watch me as long as they sit at the bottom of the driveway and are out of my way. I promise I won't run out on you though, too much is at stake."

She started the car and then drove forward, stopping beside him as she passed him. "Oh and I won't bother giving you my number," she added, "since you're probably going to find out every little detail of my horror story anyways. See yah around." And with that, she waved him off and drove, her wild black hair flying in the wind behind her.

"Chief, are you just going to let her go?" Sango asked behind him. "She is a suspect you know."

"I'm not stupid no matter what Kouga says about me," he told her. "Send him to watch her but make sure he stays out of her way and in the driveway. I have a feeling that she'll cooperate with us as long as we don't cross her line."

"Do you think she did it?" Sango asked curiously, studying the road where Kagome's car disappeared from view.

"No, I'm actually almost positive she didn't. She's too…"

"What?"

Inuyasha smirked. "Never mind, anyways I want a background check of Kagome and Miroku plus both his and her parents."

"How detailed do you want it?" Sango asked, scribbling down her orders on a pad.

"I want to know who her favourite teacher in kindergarten was and what she named her first teddy bear."

Sango laughed and started to walk away before she heard Inuyasha call her back. "Yes, chief?"

"Maserati convertibles are expensive aren't they? They're also fast cars."

"Yeah, so? What's your point?"

"Trite is a pretty small town and normally, we're always kept out of the loop on the next big thing or best new song. I want to know why she's here and what she does to force her to be here."

* * *

"You lied! Why?" Miroku demanded, glaring at Kagome sternly and speaking to her as if a little child.

"What else could I have done?" Kagome yelled, rising to the bait.

"Tell them the truth, maybe? That you're psychic? By the way, how _did_ you find the body?"

Kagome glowered with anger but she forced herself to calm down. "Remember five years ago when I wrote those stories in the middle of night as an 'exert of stress?'"

Miroku nodded, waiting for her to continue.

"It happened again, last night –uh, this morning. I 'woke up' at one and then read the story. And…the voices came back."

"I guessed as much," Miroku admitted. "You got too close, you know. You started talking for them, out loud and you started to shiver."

"The chill of death," Kagome muttered, "is a horrible thing. I…I didn't expect it. It was just when I saw her, something inside of me clicked and everything was going through me so fast, I couldn't stop."

"Understandable. Now, why did you lie?"

"I don't know. I just did. It was purely natural and defensive instinct."

"And you realize," Miroku said dryly but not without a tone of worry in it, "that you've cornered yourself. They will find out and then you're going to have to explain why you lied. Which, once again, brings us back to the question, why did you lie?"

"What was I supposed to tell them?" Kagome shrieked. "That I'm a freaking person that freaking talks to _freaking_ _dead people_? No thanks. _I_ don't even believe that."

"Then let me rephrase that question," Miroku said calmly, ignoring her outbursts. "What are you going to tell them as an explanation for why you lied?"

Kagome sighed in defeat. "I have no clue. Oh, Miroku…why now? I thought our problems were finished. I thought I would have peace. Now, I have the biggest feeling I'll _never_ finish the book I wanted to this month. I was doing so well on it too."

"You can't let this stop you from writing," Miroku said. "Start bringing a notebook around and use that. Anytime you have the urge to write I want you to write. Got it?"

"Is this the manager or friend speaking?" Kagome asked tersely.

Miroku stiffened at the comment but after letting out a deep breath, chose to ignore that as well. She was tense and under a lot of pressure. Finding a dead body could not be one of her better days. "Both I guess. You said you wrote another story, where is it?"

Kagome led him to her computer and switched it on, opening the program and gesturing for Miroku to sit down.

"It's over five hundred pages?" Miroku asked stunned. "That's the longest one so far."

"I know. It took me five hours to read so you have fun with that," she said with a sardonic laugh and then walked to the kitchen. "As for me, I'll make us some lunch since I missed breakfast and it's already two in the afternoon."

* * *

"How is she?"

"_I wouldn't know but I wish-"_

"Damn it Kouga!" Inuyasha roared on the phone. "We're investigating a _murder_, Yuri was killed. You and I both know how innocent she is –was."

"_I know, I know. I'm sorry chief."_

"Don't apologize and answer me already!"

"_She's fine. She's even left her window blinds open so we could see where she is. She's mostly been in the kitchen cooking or reading or doing something. Mr. Tsujitani has been at the computer this entire time. That's around six hours straight."_

"Fine, then. We're going to have to find out what's on that computer. Tomorrow we'll get forensics to get their prints and hopefully I can get a warrant to search their home."

"_You think they did it?"_

Inuyasha sighed, not wanting to share that information with Kouga. "We have to look at all possibilities. It doesn't matter."

"_Personally, I don't think she's capable of it."_

"That means shit to me Kouga," Inuyasha said tediously. "Assumptions normally just throw us off track and we don't want that right?"

"_Right chief_." He could hear Kouga sigh on the other end. _"I'll call you when the lights go off."_

"Good. Thanks."

Kouga laughed. _"I think that's the first time you've ever said that to me."_

"Well, I just thought…never mind, until then."

Inuyasha closed off his cell and turned to face Sango who sat across from him at his desk. He gave out an explosive sigh and then sat down with a humph in his leather seat. "I thought this was going to be an easy job but no, a killer has to show up and this isn't one of those drunken bastards either."

"Is that demonic sense kicking in?" Sango asked with a drawl and Inuyasha swore under his breath.

"Why must you be so sarcastic about everything?" he asked with a whine. "It's great when you're interrogating someone but with me? I don't know how your boyfriend does it."

"Probably the reason why we broke up four months ago," she stated, lifting her brows at him.

"You mean you two are finished?" Inuyasha looked at her seriously for a moment before laughing. "Thank God, I hated him."

"Are you telling me that after four months of him never showing up at the station you never suspected it was over?" Sango shook her head and then grabbed the clipboard full of papers off his desk. "Forget it. I don't even want to know."

"Anyways, back to business," Inuyasha said gruffly, not really wanting to comment on his lacking of social knowledge. "Do we have those background checks on those two yet?"

Sango shook her head. "No. Not yet. Ayame's finishing it off. Last time I checked, she was almost done."

"Well she needs to hurry it up," Inuyasha commented and then scoffed. "Trite is too small of a town. We need more resources."

"Want to call in bigger help?" Sango suggested but cringed when she saw the fire in his eyes. Obviously, his pride and ego were far too important.

"I'm not even going to consider that," he said finally. "They've always been known to take over these cases. When rumour spreads out that Yuri Wadena was killed –which will no doubt be very, _very_ soon- Trite will be overwhelmed with panic. I'll do everything I can to keep it low key but with the FBI or whoever else coming in here, the pioneers might have to be locked up in padded rooms."

"You're cruel," Sango said distastefully but nodded anyways, understanding.

Just then, a knock at the door came and both of them looked up to see Ayame Kakazu walk in holding a stack of paper. "Here's the info you wanted chief," she said with a smile. "Both of them are squeaky clean legally. Not so much as cheating on a parking metre. Mr. Tsujitani has an interesting background though; his mother was in the FBI. In a special unit I believe. From what I got –which was practically nothing- she was a seer or had 'the sight.' It helped solve a lot of cases for them and she caught three serial killers in her time, not to mention everything else she did. She died on duty and her husband paid the price. Got drunk and blew his brains out. Miroku Tsujitani is Kagome Higurashi's manager, like he stated and has been working for her for over five years. I don't know if he worked with her before that because there was a switch in companies and a loss of information."

"What do you mean 'switch in companies'?" Inuyasha asked, following what Ayame said as he read the paper that held much more detail.

"She was strictly a romance novelist and then on May 23rd, she switched. She finished the series of romance because they were already written and then went straight to murder mysteries. All of her books since then have been best sellers and on the top of the charts. There is passion but more than that is depression and horror. Quite a transition from romance," Ayame added, thinking. "Unless something happened to her, maybe?"

Sango nodded. "It makes sense. I'll add that to the questions. So what is there about Kagome?"

Ayame took a deep breath. "She's won tons of awards for volunteer work, community hours and donations and charities. Never got a ticket before and never had to pay for anything she's ever done bad. No speeding tickets, no bad parking…the works. Kagome is a novelist; five years ago she was only in romance and then made the transition to mystery and suspense. She was born with her mother and father in a lodge where her mother was a maid or cleaner. Her father was a part-time manager. That's probably how she met Miroku, by the way, since his father was the manager there. After a couple years they moved out and lived together. For years it was like that until her parents divorced. It was joint-custody and Ms. Higurashi went from one parent to the next every week. Nothing was ever complained. The only thing that struck me odd though was that there was some sort of file with her, she was in the actual database, but I couldn't get in. It's locked up tight. Ms. Higurashi probably paid a lot of money for that to happen."

"That is odd," Inuyasha said slowly. "And that file was created five years ago?"

"Yes," Ayame nodded.

"Where does her mother live now?" Inuyasha asked. "Kagome said she travels."

Ayame faltered a bit. "I…I've never heard that saying for it before but I guess it works…"

"What works?" Inuyasha asked, now confused.

"Kagome's mother is dead. And surprise, surprise, it happened only two months before the file was made, five years ago…"

* * *

**_Have any of you noticed that I always end these on cliffies?_**

_**Next Chapter: **Accusations - "Do you know what's pissing me off Kagome?" Miroku asked, takingher coke before he finished, just in case she dumped the perfectly good contents onto him. "You not accepting the fact that you're a medium."_

**_Review!_**


	5. Accusations

_**Sorry, late update, I know. **__**Hope I've answered all your questions. If you have anymore, feel free to ask and THANK YOU for all the reviews. I love you all **_

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha**

* * *

Chapter Four: Accusations_

Kagome closed her eyes and listened to the noises around her. The air conditioning lightly keeping the house cool from the hot humid air outside…the sound of Miroku snoring in the room next to her…and the sound of her own heartbeat.

_Tha-thump_

_Tha-thump_

Taking a deep breath, Kagome let the darkness surround her and memories swirled inside of her, gripping her.

_Tha-thump_

_Tha-thump_

Oh God, no.

"_Boo."_

It haunted her, the horror story, the tragedy of her life…it was back. The darkness enveloped her and she twisted and turned and whimpered, her eyes not opening and a hollow muted scream etched in her wordless lips.

"_Kagome? Kagome!"_

It was happening, again. Please God, no. Not again. Not ever again.

"_Kagome, God dammit! Wake up!"_

Her breath caught with her and finally, she was able to let out a scream, her arms locked together against her sides by two huge calloused hands that were holding them there. Not again. No, please no.

"Wake up!"

Her eyes snapped open and the shriek still left her lips, dry and chapped. The first thing she saw was amber…the sun? The grip at her sides was almost painful now and she gave out a sound that was half of a whimper and half of a scream. Instantly, the grasp on her tightened and she was shook. Tears sprung to her eyes but she refused to cry. She would never show him pain, never. The salty liquid disobeyed her wanting because regardless a single tear streamed down her cheek and the whimpers that came from her were more helpless, lifeless.

"Kagome, come on. Wake up, it was just a nightmare."

More clearly, Kagome blinked and silver cascades greeted her and two reflections of gold pools looked down at her, worried. Kagome moaned. "Who are you?" she asked in a little more of a mumble.

Her captor grumbled and then suddenly, a familiar voice came to her.

"Kagome, its Miroku." His voice seemed weak and hoarse, like he just woke up. "Inuyasha and Sango are here. You remember them, right?"

It sounded like he was talking to a four year old. Trying to struggle out of a tight grasp, Kagome looked more closely at the man that held her and was shocked to see Inuyasha despite the fact that Miroku had just told her. His two hands were holding her upper arms to her body and his face was fairly close to hers.

"What…what are you doing here?" Kagome asked feebly.

"Feh!" Inuyasha retorted though Kagome was in no mood for word games. Before she could start and argue, Inuyasha continued. "We came to…talk and then I heard you whimpering."

"You heard me?" Kagome exclaimed, more out of shock than anger. "How is that even possible?"

Inuyasha pointed to the top of his head. "Most people think _this_ isn't possible either, yah know."

Kagome grumbled and looked at him, her body still close to his and her chest tightened. "Then, I guess…thank you…"

Inuyasha looked down towards her stomach, not really able to look at the floor because of the way he was holding her on the bed. "Feh."

Kagome couldn't help it. Ducking her head slightly she managed to get her eyes locked with his amber ones, pools of something so magnificent, something that she had never seen before.

"Hey, Inuyasha…?"

"Yes?"

She smiled gently but the twitching on the left corner of her lip showed. She was trying not to smirk. "You really are the chief of trite."

Sango and Miroku burst out laughing behind them and Inuyasha mumbled something incoherent. Finally realizing that Kagome was still in his grasp, he let her go quickly –though smoothly- and stood up, clearing his throat. "Whatever wench, let's just get this over with."

"Good idea," Kagome announced and then looked to Miroku. "You know bud; it really is pathetic when Inuyasha can hear me outside the front door –which by the way is on the other side of the house- when you can't hear me through the wall."

It was Miroku's turn to grouse as he gestured briefly for Sango to go ahead of him. Eyeing him warily, Kagome watched the satisfied expression on Miroku's face as he trailed behind the female cop, eyes not looking forward but looking down at a diagonal.

"Lecher," Kagome growled and then when the door to her bedroom was closed, she got untangled from the mess of sheets and stood up. Her dresser that was across from her bed held a mirror that showed the upper half of her body and Kagome couldn't be any more disgruntled when she gazed at herself shrewdly. Her black hair looked more like a mess of black tangled string all knotted together and her skin was paler than normal. And then her eyes…they were a different matter entirely. Glazed over and distant, she looked like a woman that had spent years of making the wrong decision over and over again, which was not the case at all since if anything, was the exact opposite.

"Better not keep them waiting…" Kagome mused out loud and then walked to her small closet, pulling out a pair of fresh jeans with a baggy black t-shirt that she knotted so that it was better fitting and looking. The pink jewelled necklace that she never took off was brought out from under her shirt and placed on top, contrasting with her top. After combing out the wild mane of unmanageable and unruly hair, she deemed herself appropriate and headed out towards the family room where everyone sat.

"Took you long enough," Inuyasha commented and Kagome merely waved dismissively towards him.

"I'm terribly sorry you had to waste three minutes of your life in my house. It must have been tragic," she said, her smile wry. "So any questions you have for me, ask away so I can be a free person again."

"That might not be the case Ms. Higurashi," Sango said solemnly. "Unless you have a solid alibi, you're number one on our list."

* * *

_Look at her. That slut._

_Swooning over all the boys and flipping her blonde hair and batting those baby blues. Just like her._

_Just like **her**_

_And her skirt…disgusting! She might as well walk around naked for all the good that fabric is doing her. _

_But she will pay._

_Soon…

* * *

_

"Where did you get that necklace?" Inuyasha asked gruffly, staring at the half-orb that hung low to her chest.

Ignoring his gaze that could be mistaken for something else, Kagome sighed. "My mother, it was hers before she passed away. Something you already know, I presume?"

"Why is there only half?" Inuyasha continued, countering her question.

"Because my mother only gave me half," she responded coolly. "The other half was kept with her. It was her mother's and she wanted to take it to the grave with her."

"Then why give you half?"

Kagome glared at him lightly, not angry but not at all lovingly either. It was more of a pointed stare, meaning he should already know the answer. When he didn't dismiss the question, Kagome's sarcastic side kicked in high gear.

"Well, I wouldn't really know what would go through a dying woman's mind when she's speaking to her daughter for the last time after so much grief. Unless you can talk to dead people, I doubt you'll ever know that answer."

"But you can," he said, trying to hide his triumphant smirk at cornering her. "You hear things. You can talk to dead people. Am I right?"

Kagome shook her head. "No. I'm…ill but I _don't_ talk to dead people. Medication doesn't work for me unless I'm completely doped up and I decided that I would rather hear voices than void out more than three-quarters of my life."

"According to Miroku, you are."

"He isn't right about everything."

"But his mother did have 'the sight' as they call it."

"That doesn't mean he's right," she repeated.

Inuyasha sighed and swore under his breath. "You're pretty stubborn."

"You're pretty ignorant."

Inuyasha swore. "Do you know what happened to you when you…?"

"Blacked out?" Kagome finished. "No. Whatever happened to me…? Let's just say blacking out is a good expression of it. I don't remember a thing."

"Then let me help you," Inuyasha said firmly. "You went to Yuri's body and opened her hands, revealing a pink jewel shard. You said it yourself that it was part of the other half of your jewel. I did some research on it and found some pretty interesting stories behind it. What I would like to know though, is how that shard got there when your mother has the other half?"

"There are probably more made," Kagome shrugged, not giving in. "I doubt its one-of-a-kind."

"Something else I wondered," Inuyasha mused but then smirked when he looked back to the girl accused. "But I did some research on that too and, lucky for me, it is a one-of-a-kind. There isn't another like it."

"But who's to say-"

"And what," Inuyasha cut in, "are the chances that even if there is one other jewel, that it is here, in Trite? Of course, just to be sure, I'm going to have to take your necklace and send it to get it matched it with the shard."

Kagome gave Inuyasha a blank look and for once, he couldn't define the expression on her face. He wasn't at all sure that it was because he couldn't or he wouldn't, since the difference was miles apart. "Fine, you jerk," Kagome hissed and tugged the necklace, letting it fall down her neck and placing it carefully in Sango's hands. "I want it back."

"Don't worry princess," Inuyasha sneered, amused by the temper that he caused within her.

"You are nothing more than a-!"

"Okay guys," Sango said loudly, interrupting before a war of words started. "Inuyasha, if you have no other questions-"

"Why did you lie to us?"

Kagome looked taken aback. "What?" she stumbled, her anger somewhat dissolved.

"You don't have a dog. There're no toys, no dishes, no hair and definitely no scent. Not only that but you yourself just said that your mother was dead and your mother is supposedly taking care of 'Spot' right now. It was a creative name too."

Kagome growled. "Get out of my house."

Inuyasha smirked. "No." He just had to test his theory…

"Get out of my house now!"

Inuyasha shook his head and took a step closer. "I want you to answer me, _now_."

"I will _not_ be responsible for my actions if you do _not_ leave my house right this instant," Kagome warned, nodding to both Sango and Miroku to make sure they heard. Miroku watched wearily and Sango looked like she had had enough.

Most likely with Inuyasha's ignorance.

"Answer me," he continued. She was almost there…so close…

Kagome growled low in her throat and without further adieu Kagome swung back and sent her arm, hand flexed palm up, towards his nose.

"Jesus!" Inuyasha roared and stumbled back. His nose was bleeding and his hands were cuffed over it.

"Come on mighty Sherlock," Sango said and patted his back bored. "Let's get back to the station."

"She…but she!"

"And she noted that she wouldn't be responsible. We didn't even have a right to be in her house anyways. You overstayed the welcome and only God knows how much you abused it."

Miroku came over to Sango with a towel. "Here you go. I'll see you to the door since Kagome doesn't feel like it."

When the two were finally gone, Miroku sighed and smacked his head against the door. "Stupid, stupid…" he muttered, wishing he had never left the city. "What has she gotten us _into_?"

"Not sure," came Kagome's voice from behind and when Miroku turned around, two drinks –most likely rye and coke- were in her hands and she was sipping one. "But I can tell you that that Inuyasha Taisho _chief of Trite_," she said in a mocking voice, "is starting to really piss me off."

"Do you know what's pissing me off Kagome?" Miroku asked, taking the coke before he finished, just in case she dumped the perfectly good contents onto him. "You're not accepting the fact that you're a medium."

"I am not!" Kagome exclaimed, exasperated. "Hearing voices is a sign that you are delusional. I have some mental issues and that goes without saying anyways after what happened that night. It really changed me, you know?" Kagome said the last sentence in barely a whisper.

"But Kagome," Miroku argued. "Traumatic events are what triggers a latent –a person with psychic abilities that don't have the knowledge or don't even know that they have that ability- doorway, or entrance to use there abilities.

"There's a theory that all people are in someway psychic. These abilities though, are trapped in what we could consider a room where our powers are locked up until there is a time that we need them. Some people are born with an already activated power while others need some sort of conscious shock; trauma or head injuries to unlock that door and use it. Most just go through life though without ever knowing or having it."

Kagome scoffed, the information both extremely exciting and terrifying. She didn't want to believe it or the fact that she could speak to the dead.

No way.

"Bullshit."

"She didn't do it," Inuyasha said triumphantly towards Sango, who only rolled her eyes. "She has an amazing right hook but is not physically strong enough to slice someone's throat that deep in one stroke."

"And you had to push her over the edge to test that theory?" Sango asked, her voice on the edge of desperation and fully-loaded with frustration. "Chief, give her a break. You know she was right. You really are arrogant."

"She never called me that," Inuyasha reminded Sango who only snickered.

"Not to your face, no," she went on absentmindedly. "But going on about Kagome's innocence…do you really believe she didn't do it? Are you absolutely positive?"

Inuyasha cringed, knowing for a fact that he could never be one hundred percent sure about anything in this field. "No, not absolutely sure Sango," he said slowly. "But I'm almost positive…almost…that she didn't do it. There's just something about her."

Sango cooed and Inuyasha snorted. "Please, spare me," he said gruffly but when Sango started giggling, he sighed. "You're not going to let this go until you've had your say, will you?" he asked, a tinge of whine edging the sound.

"Nope."

"Then go ahead," he said dejectedly.

"Admit it chief! You like her!"

"Do not!" he retorted.

"Yes, you do! At her house…that was the first time I've ever seen you so worried about someone in your whole life. If I hadn't found that one door around the back unlocked, you would have kicked down the door yourself."

"I would not," he defended but he knew it was useless. He was never going to win and the sad truth was…oh dammit…she was right.

Aw, shit.

"Feh," he mumbled and Sango shook her head, a smile playing at her lips.

"Chief of trite…" she said in a singsong voice and Inuyasha grumbled. He really wished this town would have different name or at least something that couldn't be used against him like that. At least.

Feeling the triumph of winning a battle against her boss, Sango left Inuyasha's office with a couple words saying she would be back and walked into her own. It was somewhat smaller than Inuyasha's but she never complained. She was mostly in the chief's room anyways. Grabbing a folder that was on her desk in a neatly stacked pile, Sango returned to the room and threw it on Inuyasha's desk. "Here is the information on Yuri Wadena. She was thirty, long black hair and hazel eyes. She has parents that live in Florida and an older brother who lives somewhere else entirely. Don't know his location but we're checking on it. Single but according to her neighbour, she broke up with her boyfriend last week."

"And?" Inuyasha probed.

"Apparently he screamed so loud the neighbours almost called us. He went away though after she threatened to do that same thing."

"Then we got someone to look into," Inuyasha said, looking over the file. When he finished, he looked around the room somewhat uncomfortably before meeting Sango's gaze. "Hey Sango…?"

"Yeah, chief?"

"Uh, have you heard about what Kouga said about Yuri's murder?"

Shaking her head, Sango sighed. "He's more stubborn than you and I combined. Actually no, scratch that. You and _Kagome _combined. If he's hurt, he isn't going to show it or tell us anytime soon."

"But you would think…"

"Yeah...I know," Sango said, not needing Inuyasha to finish his sentence in order for her to understand what he was getting at. In a small town, everyone knew everything about the other. That meant that it was only a matter of time before Kagome became heavy in the spotlight.

"You're going to bug me about her…aren't you?" Inuyasha asked randomly, going back the previous conversation of ten minutes ago.

"Of course, it's in the contract on being friends and coworkers. You have the right to annoy them about little stuff like that."

"I don't like her though."

"But you find her attractive," Sango continued.

"Feh," he mumbled and Sango smiled at his lack of denial. She was about to shout 'I knew it!' but stopped short when there was a knock at the door and Ayame Kakazu walked in, her face dour.

"Chief, sorry to interrupt but…I think you might want to take a look at this."

* * *

_**Next chapter: Distrust - **__Of course you do Kagome. I'm dead. And more will be like me if you don't believe in me and follow through with what you have to do._

__

**Review!**


	6. Distrust

_**Sorry for the late update!**_

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha**

* * *

_

Chapter Five: Distrust

**A twenty-eight year old grudge**

**If at first you don't succeed…try, try again**

**It's time now, she will die**

**A princess with an unforgettable death**

Inuyasha held the piece of paper carefully, his gloves feeling heavy as he reread the lines, memorizing them and burning them in his memory. He let out a deep breath and closed his eyes. Great, he already had a nightmare last night and didn't need another.

"Could it be a trick? A copycat showing the emotions felt or the actual killer?" Sango asked, studying the black white paper with bold black ink on it scribbled letters of a haunting letter.

Inuyasha shook his head. "I don't think so. It's 'any person' writing and whoever the victim in the note is, is in the correct assumption. What I don't get though is…why?"

"It doesn't make sense. Whoever wrote this gave us some clues or something to work on though. Like, what happened twenty-eight years ago that created this grudge so fierce it was enough to kill? And the 'try, try again' part? Does that mean it's killed before?"

"I don't know. That's too many questions and not enough answers. This could just be a trick though."

Ayame, who was still in the room, listened to what they said, unknowing to what was on the letter. From the sounds of it though… "Can I see it chief?" she asked nervously.

Nodding, Inuyasha handed the paper over to her and Ayame snapped on a pair of latex gloves in a box at the side of the room just in case for fingerprints. When she saw it, her suspicions were confirmed.

"It's not the killer," Ayame said clearly, the nervousness in her voice gone. She was without a doubt positive of her answer.

"Why not?" Sango asked, eyeing Ayame in approval.

"Because," Ayame started, "if the killer was going to contact us, let's say as a taunt –which it is mostly likely to be- it would be written in first person. 'A' would be 'my' and there are a couple places where you could make one of the words possessive. So that would rule out that the killer is trying to taunt us and if they are taunting us, then why send a letter? It has to be from someone with inside information, someone who knows what's going on."

When both Sango and Inuyasha didn't speak, Ayame looked up at the curiously, awaiting their thoughts.

Sango slapped her forehead with the palm of her hand. "Why the hell didn't we think of that? Jesus Inuyasha, I think we need more coffee."

"Good idea," Inuyasha smirked and then looked to Ayame. "Where did you find this?"

"Under the mat in front of our door." When she saw the crazed looks of her bosses, she sighed. "I know. I thought it was suspicious too but I'm thinking that whoever sent this was afraid, probably wished to remain anonymous. Maybe they had a struggle between what was right and wrong? Thinking that they know what's happening, if they're caught giving us info, they could most likely be killed so half-consciously they put it under the mat, logically thinking that if we needed the clues desperately enough, we would find it."

Inuyasha scowled. "I don't like the sound of all these 'maybes' and 'ifs.' I want this letter run for prints and a copy made with the original put away. The envelope that it came in should be checked for prints too. I want to know the ink and type of paper used everything. If we can at least narrow down the playing field somewhat, are jobs will be made a hell of a lot easier."

Ayame nodded and left, following through with her orders and then a ring killed the silence of the room. Inuyasha looked down to see her cell phone flashing and vibrating and she grabbed it without hesitance and answered it. "Speak to me."

"_Reporting in chief,"_ Kouga's smooth voice came from the other side. _"Kagome just left. I'm following her at a fair distance, not enough to draw attention. Hell, just to make my life easier she told me where she was going too."_

"Kagome? You're on a first name basis?" Inuyasha asked, anger washing through him.

"_Yeah. She's a great woman, very kind. Anyways, so far she's done nothing suspicious but…"_

"What Kouga? Spill it."

"_She went to the local library; you know the one near the pharmacy? Well, I didn't think there was anything wrong with it. She told me she'd only be about half an hour max and there's only one entrance. I could also find her scent anywhere so I had no reason to worry that she would run."_

"Can you just tell me what was suspicious?" Inuyasha growled, getting fed up with the lower cop. "I don't need a life-story; I just want what's important."

"_Fine, she took out five books. I just barely caught the titles of them. Three of them are murder mysteries by some famous authors but the other two were books filled with maps of the area."_

"What area?" Inuyasha asked urgently. "Maps of Trite? Old ones or new?"

Inuyasha could distinctly hear the shakiness in his breath as he let it out and answered. _"One old and one new. The new one is the area of Trite and some regions around it while the older one is just of Trite and I heard her say something. You know as well as I do that my hearing is above average, well, she said it had something to do with…Kikyo."_

"Jesus Christ."

* * *

_Do you remember the death of Kikyo Hidaka?_

"Kikyo…?" Kagome asked, thinking instantly about her very first story, the first traumatic event. "You mean the character in that story I wrote?"

_No._

Kagome growled in frustration as she drove her car away from the parking lot of the library towards her grandfather's old shrine. "Then I don't know what you're talking about. The only Kikyo Hidaka I know is the one from my story. My _fictional_ story."

_It's not fictional Kagome. Kikyo was real. She was once alive. She was like you._

"Yeah, yeah, I know," Kagome scoffed. "She was a _medium_ who could talk to the dead. For the millionth time…_I know!_ I created her!"

_That's where you're wrong Kagome. She was alive. The voices you hear knew of her death, that night, you heard her scream; you knew what was happening on a subconscious level. You wrote the death of Kikyo Hidaka five years ago on the very same night, very same time._

"Impossible," Kagome argued though a lump in her throat caused her to swallow hard. "I didn't. I don't hear the voices of the dead. As far as the world and my readers go I don't hear voices at all."

_Of course you do Kagome. I'm dead. And more will be like me if you don't believe in me and follow through with what you have to do.

* * *

_

Miroku was not in a good mood. One would say that that was impossible since Miroku never, ever was in a bad mood. But today was the exception. Today was the day that he and Kagome, after thirty years of friendship, had a fight.

"God dammit!" Miroku screamed, holding his head in his hands. "Why can't she just accept the fact that she's psychic?"

A knock at the door interrupted Miroku from his venting rant, so with a heavy sigh; he stood up and made his way out of the kitchen to the door. To his surprise, Inuyasha and Sango stood outside the door, Inuyasha tapping his foot impatiently.

"Can we come in?" he asked his voice not without strain. "There is an important matter I need to discuss with Kagome."

"But Kagome-"

"Isn't here," Inuyasha cut off. "I know. I'm going to wait until she comes back. Is that okay with you?"

Miroku nodded though he looked unhappy. "Kagome isn't going to like that fact that you're here. She's still pissed at you from what happened earlier this morning."

"Well that's too God damned bad," Inuyasha retorted. "I need to talk to her."

Sango sighed as she walked in, following the chief as she gave Miroku a sad look. "He threatened to give a couple people some heavy tickets when he was driving here. In case you haven't yet noticed, no one drives particularly fast in this town."

"Noted," Miroku said and went in the kitchen. "Do you guys want coffee? I know it's late but…"

"That would be great, thank you," Sango said when Inuyasha nodded and they took their places back in the family room.

When they were all settled, Miroku winced. "Kagome and I…had a bit of a disagreement so I don't know when she'll get back."

Inuyasha glanced at his watch. "I have all day and according to Kouga, they'll be back any minute now."

Miroku raised a brow. "You mean officer Matsuno?"

"Yeah, from what he told me, Kagome was driving back from the library and-" Inuyasha was cut off before he could finish his sentence, his cell phone ringing. "What?" he asked, non to politely for the fact that he was interrupted.

"_Chief, get over here, now!"_

There was no mistaking Kouga's silky and strong voice on the other end as well as there was no mistaking the urgency and fear in it. "Kouga, what's happening? What's going on? Where are you?"

"_We're at the old warehouse on the northern outskirts of the town. You know the old warehouse that was going to be part of demolition in the next month or so?"_

"What the hell? Why are you there? Why wasn't I informed about this Kouga?"

"_I couldn't call. Her steering was-. Never mind that! Get an ambulance and get over here chief! She's down and screaming, nothing seems to be wrong with her but I can't get close enough to tell."_

"Shit. Don't touch her, I'm coming." Inuyasha hung up the phone and ran out of the room, Sango right behind with a worried Miroku following. Inuyasha didn't even wait for his head of investigation to even come out of the house. He just jumped in the car and drove, zooming out of the driveway and speeding down the highway. He radioed the ambulance but decided not to call for back-up, something was telling him it was the 'voices' in her head that was the cause of all this. Maybe she really was insane.

Maybe she really was the killer.

He pushed that thought to the back of his mind as he sped along, his lights alarming everyone to get out of his way for fear of getting hit. From the library, the warehouse was probably only five minutes, but from the house it was a good fifteen, maybe twenty. From the sounds of things and Kouga's voice, he wasn't sure how long things would remain under control. If they still were.

"Shit. This is not what I expected for this job," Inuyasha cursed as he neared his destination. Inuyasha was too proud to admit that he was afraid but of all the recent happenings, something beyond his control was occurring and somehow he was helpless to stop it.

And if that dream was of any truth last night, Kagome would be the only one to regain the control and restore the humanity.

Because he was more than positive that this was just the beginning…

* * *

_Don't yell._

Kagome screamed; the reckless shrieks and sobs escaping her body. It was so painful. So painful.

_Trust me._

No. Never again. It hurt, it hurt so much and she was the cause. There was just so much death…

_Accept the noise._

She felt a rough hand trying to grab her at her sides but she twisted and pounced out, her eyes closed, tears streaming down her face and tickling the sensitive and burning skin underneath.

_Accept it. The pain won't leave until you do._

Shut up. Go to Hell.

_I'm already there.

* * *

_

Kouga Matsuno, for the first time in his life, wanted to run. And not run away to never be seen again but run away with his tail between his legs and wail to let the whole world know it. When he signed up for this job, he just wanted something that would be cheap, easy. Much like the chief but for different reasons: he didn't care about beating the bad guys since he was one himself and because the town was so small, nothing happened and there was more time to roll around in the sheets.

If you caught his drift…

But ever since Yuri's body was found yesterday, he knew nothing would ever be as simple as eat, sleep and sex again. His skin crawled at the thought of it.

But Yuri…oh God Yuri… Why her? She deserved better than being brutally murdered and left in a field. She deserved so much better, no matter she said. Sure, his chief was kind enough to make sure he didn't go near the body but talk around the office was easy to hear, especially if you were a demon, which he was.

"_I heard that this guy left a black shard in her hands…"_

"…_Sort of morbid, don't you think?"_

"…_And the way she was cut up?"_

"…_Sliced to bits…"_

"…_Barely recognize her face unless you knew it well enough…"_

And Kouga knew it well enough.

Now, he has a woman who was lying down on the dirt and gravel lane towards an old to-be destroyed building, screaming at the top of her lungs as if the Devil was going to take her soul.

Dammit chief, where was he?

The summer's air was humid and he licked his lips, rethinking of an approach to reach the girl. Every time he got near her, she would reach out and claw, lash out at him with her eyes squeezed shut and scream some bloody more.

Chief had told him not to touch her but she was bleeding now, the rocks scraping against her legs and arms, cuts bearing on her face and blood tangling with the raven strands.

Once more he closed in on her, still completely unsure of what to do. Every method he had learned, every lesson and life skill of the books had just been thrown out the window. So much for rules and regulations since so many were broken already.

"Kouga!" he heard a yell and sharply turned away from Kagome to see Inuyasha speeding up the driveway, his speed sharp as he halted just before the woman who now panicked at his feet.

For a moment, he looked about as unsure as he once was and Kouga was thankful that it hadn't been something he should have known. But then, as if a whole new side to Inuyasha came out, he was on his knees by the girl and lifting her gently, ignoring the lashes to his arms and chest and brought her on his lap, gazing down at her and shushing her, talking to her.

"Kagome, it's okay. It's Inuyasha. Remember?"

She only screamed some more but now you could barely hear the form of words, painful and agonizing words.

"I'm the ignorant bastard that you punched in the nose today. Calm down Kagome, tell me what's wrong."

"Dab-void-says-bar-bow-hoed!" she shrieked and Inuyasha shook his head, not understanding.

"Come on princess, calm down. Everything is alright, I'm here. Nothing is going to hurt you but you have to tell me what's wrong so I can help."

Her panic quieted down and Kouga vaguely felt the presence of Sango and another man who he presumed was Kagome's friend Miroku behind him. Like him, they just stood away, watching the scene before them.

"The voices…" she breathed out, practically breathless with a voice so strained it was as if she was being choked, the life sucking out of her. She sobbed again but stopped, breathing in deeply and rubbing the tears off her face by brushing them on his navy blue t-shirt. "The voices are so loud…"

"What are they saying Kagome?"

Somehow, a part of him was taking this all in clearly, perfectly, as if it were as normal and heart-breaking as a nightmare. It was as if hearing voices was sane.

"Death…" she whispered, hushed but not quiet enough so that the others didn't hear and then her body went stiff in his arms and her eyes flew open. She struggled wildly out of Inuyasha's grasp and he didn't argue, thinking she was just angry or embarrassed. Something normal, but he should have known.

Kagome took off at full speed, her body fluidity very little as if she hadn't moved in a very long time and was unused to her body. Inuyasha followed behind, the rest following as he yelled her name, ordering her to come back. She wasn't listening and before any of them knew it they were at the door of the warehouse, Kagome's hand on the metal rusted doorknob.

"Prepare," she said quietly, her voice again hollow and distant. "So much…screams of terror…pleasure…submission towards the…_you bitch_…the pain of all the black…studs and metal, studs and…taking it all…power…_crawl, I said crawl you worthless_…you're never going to find me."

"Inuyasha!" Miroku screamed. "She's going too deep. They are using her for a voice, get her out of there!"

He had no clue what to do but a sense of urgency was upon him and without thinking he grabbed her face, forcing her to look at him and have her eyes connect with his. The shock at first was so intense that he stumbled backwards, her face still in his hands. Their eye contact was never broken and as if a switch was flipped, he could feel something cold, disastrous. He was barely aware that Kagome's hands snaked upon his own and took them away from her face, intertwining with his.

He could hear them, all of them.

The voices of the dead.

Inuyasha screamed and shut his eyes, the connection broken but their hands still linked. That place, it was so cold and Inuyasha knew he had to get her out of there. She would be lost if not.

His wild silver hair blew in the rare breeze as he grabbed her shoulders and shook her, shouting her name in the process. Soon enough, Kagome's body went fairly limp in his arms but he was aware that she was still not fully herself. The voices still had some power over her but she wasn't in danger. Not just yet.

Once again, she got out of his hold and touched the doorknob, turning it and opening it a crack.

"You didn't listen," she said, her voice raspy and not her own. "I told you she lied. Just like the doctors, she lied. She lied to everyone. No one knew. Not even her lovers."

Kouga paled and Kagome continued on, opening the door fully and switching on the lights, giving everyone a full view of what was needed to be seen. "Welcome to the world of Yuri, a dominatrix. Whips, chains and all… This is where the fun was."

And then, Kagome collapsed fully, a dead weight in Inuyasha's arms.

* * *

_**Next Chapter: **Connections- "Ah ha!" she cheered when she felt her hand run along something the felt like a book and was relieved. "I just hope he's not one of those sappy soap opera type guys in disguise."_

**_Review!_**


	7. Connection

_**You guys are the best! Thank you so much for all the reviews and since I didn't think thanking you was enough, I updated early!**_

**_Despite the fact that last night I almost got hit by a car biking so I panicked and then squeezed the brakes which to my luck were the brakes for the front tire which threw me across the road (while the car was approaching) so after doing a superman across the pavement I realized that my strapless (why me?) top fell down so I _might_ have flashed the guy as I rolled to stand up to be no longer on the road so I wouldn't get run over._**

**_And now my entire left side of my body is cut up. Please, no pity... Anyhoo, just be happy I updated._**

**_Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha_**

_

* * *

_

_Chapter Six: Connection_

Kouga was the first to snap.

A shudder, a grasping breath and he fell upon his knees, not looking away from the cold room ahead of him.

Yuri Wadena. Yuri Wadena the…

"Shit."

He tore away from his thoughts and looked towards Inuyasha who held Kagome securely in his arms as he carried her into the room. Kagome…the woman who had to show him all this. Bitch.

Inuyasha turned around in the doorway, blocking Kouga's view from the room and facing him, looking directly in his eyes. "I want you to get out of here and go home. Call backup for me but other than that, I don't want you here or anywhere near this case."

Kouga shook his head, standing up. "No chief, I have-"

"Forget it Matsuno," Inuyasha said harshly, using his last name. "You are not coming in here. I'm not doing this as a boss but as a-"

"Friend?" Kouga laughed. "Right. Inuyasha, I'm an officer. I'm trained to get through this. I _can_ do this."

For a long moment, they just stared at each other, neither of the two men giving in. Finally, Inuyasha looked away, his face hard. "Fine, do what you want."

Kouga nodded, knowing that he was walking on a very fine line with no net underneath. He swallowed hard and closed his eyes, taking a step towards the building before opening them and continuing on. Inuyasha merely stepped out of the way once he made it to the doorframe and Kouga looked down.

"You wanted to see it," Inuyasha's voice called from right behind him. "So look at it."

His jaw tight, Kouga looked around the room in shock. What he had seen through the doorframe was enough but this…

Chains hung from the ceiling and were bolted to the walls. Whips and other objects were hung up and scattered across the room. Dirty mattresses that had been used so many times only God could know lay limply on the sides and a large array of facemasks hung on the far wall, framed and prized.

What was worse was the blood.

And the stench of it.

Ranging from droplets to puddles of dried and black blood were scattered and mixed among the room, giving the already dirty and musty look even more foreboding.

Inuyasha was now beside him, not saying anything, the girl still in his arms. For some reason, he just didn't want to let go of her. She was knocked unconscious and her porcelain face was twisted bitterly but Kouga ignored all of it.

The gasp Miroku made and the gagging reflex Sango sounded when she entered. None of it mattered.

It was funny, this feeling. The feeling that you've been lied to, cheated on. It wasn't a new feeling but it certainly was hurtful. Sweet and innocent Yuri Wadena...or was it deceiving and seducing Yuri the dominatrix?

Kouga didn't know and he had the funny feeling that he never wanted to. Ever.

He just couldn't believe that Yuri, _his Yuri_… No, not anymore.

Once upon a time they had been lovers. Strong lovers who cared for each other more than the world would ever know. But then suddenly, she started drifting from him. It wasn't until last month that she had broken it off but the pain of it was still there, hurting. He had loved Yuri and to think…he had never really loved the real her.

Was this even the real her?

Was this Yuri Wadena, the woman he had once loved? His ex-lover?

Chief had been right, all he wanted to do was go home and drink his sorrows away.

* * *

_Damn her. Damn her to Hell. _

_How did she find it?_

_And now he knows; now he sees._

_Hate her. Hate her to death._

_But that doesn't matter, I can still win._

_She can still die._

_Bitch._

_Kill her. Kill her to understand._

_Bye, bye Princess._

_Bye, bye.

* * *

_

_Wake up._

Go away.

_Wake up._

Leave me alone.

_Wake up._

Screw you.

_He's starting to worry._

Kagome frowned deeply within her mind, an unconscious thought of what she was doing. She was vaguely aware of being in the air and the warmth against her. Then again, she was also aware of the bone-chilling darkness that curled around her mind.

Death…and it was coming.

_You need him._

'Who do I need?' Kagome begged to scream but it was nothing more than a lost echo in her mind.

_He can help you._

'Care to explain how? What exactly can _he_ help me with?'

_Everything…_

Well, that was specific.

'Who are you?' Kagome called again to the voice in her head of her imaginary friend. 'Who is _he_? Why am I in the middle of this? Why am I even talking to a figment of my imagination?'

_After everything, do you still really believe I'm what the others say? Do you think I'm just an illness that will vanish? I can go Kagome, I can leave you alone but the voices will never die. Never…_

'Help me,' Kagome pleaded.

_I can't. He can… Trust yourself. Wake up Kagome, wake up._

A swirl in her mind and the sudden blast of the five senses started within her. The reality of the world became clearer and before she knew it, her eyes were open though the view was fuzzy. Without even knowing it, she gave a final sardonic remark to her imaginary friend. She would never let the last word be anything but hers.

"And the last time I trusted myself, I found a dead body."

"What?" a masculine voice exclaimed.

Kagome was startled when she realized that she wasn't alone and the awareness of that was a shock. Not only that, but she was in the air, being carried by strong arms that held her tightly bridal style. When she gazed up to meet the eyes of her holder, she was unsurprised to see that it was Inuyasha and by the look in his eyes, she figured out that she wouldn't be put down soon. And his eyes…

Something was different about them. The burning heart of amber was clouded and small, almost non-existent since the pupil of his eyes were larger, wiser. That was only something that happened to her after she went too deep.

_Sense of urgency… _

_Forcing her to look at him… _

_Eyes connect with his…_

_So intense…_

_Cold, disastrous…_

_Intertwining with his… _

_He could hear them, all of them… _

_The voices of the dead…_

_Inuyasha screamed…_

Oh…

Shit.

* * *

"Miroku, I want you to meet Officer Nobutoshi and Officer Inada. Hiten and Manten, I want you to meet Mr. Tsujitani," Sango introduced, remaining formal unless she used the name herself.

"Please," Miroku said kindly, nodding towards the two backup officers, "just call me Miroku."

The one called Hiten Nobutoshi nodded, his long black braided hair jiggling slightly. "Where's chief?" he asked towards Sango.

"He's in the warehouse with the forensics team."

"Got it," Hiten said with a grim smile and nodded towards the two before heading up there with Manten. "Thanks San!" he called and gave a short salute, his back facing her.

"You're well respected here," Miroku said, breaking the silence between him and the investigator.

"Guess I am," she shrugged finally. "I've lived here all my life. I know every family and every secret they hold probably better than I know myself. It's actually confusing."

"I imagine so," Miroku agreed and looked up towards the warehouse that was now busy with life. "Is Kagome still with Inuyasha?"

Sango gave a short laugh. "Are you kidding me? He won't let her go. Ever since…Miroku, do you know exactly what happened? What happens to her when she goes 'too deep'?"

By the way Sango shifted her weight from foot-to-foot; he could tell that she was nervous. His only surprise was that she hadn't asked the question sooner. He winced slightly at the thought of her disbelief but realized whether she understood the 'logic' of the paranormal was up to her.

Hell, Kagome had the ability and _still_ didn't believe.

"Not really, no," Miroku said solemnly. "What I know is what she tells me of her experiences, what she writes down on-," Miroku paused. They couldn't know about the stories, not yet. They had to understand first. "What she tells me basically, though I learned most of this stuff from my mother. There are different types of psychics: empaths, clairvoyants, mediums, telepaths, touch-telepaths, etc. The list goes on and on and there's no actual limit to the number of abilities. Some have a new power that no one has and some are stronger than others.

"Kagome, from what I know, is a one-of-a-kind medium. Mediums normally have the ability to see the dead, sometimes they can even go to what some call the 'grey time' which is in theory, the place in between what lies beyond, and very few can walk _within_ the grey time. Kagome can do none of these because from what I can tell, she can only talk to them."

Almost absently she nodded her head. "And what happened back there…?"

"Kagome can also hear voices. These voices she hears are the voices of the no longer living who try to _use_ her to their advantage."

Sango looked at him skeptically. "Uh, I didn't understand that."

"Which part?" Miroku asked.

"…The entire last part."

"Oh." Miroku sighed. "You know how we have haunted houses of spirits who just either can't let go or have something they need to fulfill? Well, these voices, of these spirits, seem to only be either heard or seen by mediums. Now, if a spirit is desperate enough, it can struggle against the…barrier –for use of a better term- and fight with the soul of the medium. Whichever soul is strongest obtains the body."

Sango shivered inadvertently. "So you mean the dead can…come back to life?"

Wincing, Miroku made a face. "In a matter of speaking, yes but the two souls could battle for the course of twenty years without any signs of changing. It's still a theory, one we can hardly explain well, but once we get our science up-to-date with the paranormal, it will be done in time."

"So that's why Kagome can't go in too deep," Sango mused out loud. "She could –in a matter of speaking- be killed."

"Yes-" Miroku was interrupted by a loud curse from the warehouse above and with a quick glance at the other; both Sango and Miroku sprinted up to the building. Darkness surrounded them once they entered with only a stream of light from the actual doorway that led outside. Then in a flash, the lights were on, blinding the two from the suddenness of it all.

Inuyasha stood in front of them, his face austere and shadowed from the poor lighting. "Sango, I want you to call Ayame and get her to find any information she can get on Yuri's properties."

"But we already tried. Nothing came up other than the small house she had."

"Dig deeper," Inuyasha argued. "And find out who owned this building because what I just saw there was enough to make me hate the colour red."

Sango looked at him seriously.

"You think there was a lot of blood in there before? Well, look at the blood that was once there. It was covered Sango," Inuyasha said tiredly. "It was a bloodbath in there."

* * *

Kagome could've shot herself.

"Stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid…" she repeated over and over again, the word becoming weaker and frustrated as she spoke. "Stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid…"

He knew, dammit. He _knew_. He _heard_.

That was not supposed to happen, ever. Now what would he think of her? Would he just dump her? Would send her away to a padded white room, salute a goodbye and walk away without ever turning back?

Kagome shivered at the possibilities. Inuyasha… Even though he had doubted what she had the ability to do, she didn't really care. She didn't believe it either, but now after everything was said and done…

"Stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid…" Her imaginary friend was right. She couldn't keep pushing this to the back of her mind. She couldn't keep trying to make logical sense of what was when there was no logical sense to explain it yet. She was a…medium.

She could talk to the dead.

"Stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid…"

And now, she brought Inuyasha into it. He had heard the voices of the dead and it was all her fault. She went too deep –unknowing but still- and Inuyasha's respect for her was probably down the drain.

"Down, down, down to the bottom of the sea…" she sang slightly, recalling a song from a television show she had vaguely watched while flipping channels.

Hey, it wasn't her fault.

It had a catchy tune.

At least she wasn't saying 'stupid' repeatedly anymore.

She glanced around Inuyasha's truck -where he had firmly put her in with strict orders that if she left he would be forced to do…something (he hadn't thought that far within speech) - and looked for something interesting to quell her boredom. Seeing that nothing other than a wide-range of papers, business cards and napkins were in the compartments within the car, she checked under seats and side pockets in the door.

"Ah ha!" she cheered when she felt her hand run along something the felt like a book and was relieved. "I just hope he's not one of those sappy soap opera type guys in disguise."

Confusion swept over her when she found that it was not actually a reading book but a small black notebook, the date within the notebook starting at February 7th, seven years ago. She flipped through the pages, noting Inuyasha's all capital handwriting and brisk lines. All of the notes he kept had a newspaper article attached and all of them were about murders.

So far, all of the notes had been checked off, the murderer apparently caught and sentenced fairly but then, after searching through two years of his crime-solving life, he heart stopped and if she hadn't heard the voice of her imaginary friend, she doubted it would've ever started.

_He can help you…_

Because there, not checked off, was the name of Kikyo Hidaka, a woman murdered…a woman who's a main character in her first murder story.

* * *

"How well did you know Yuri Wadena?" Sango questioned, sitting at the opposite side of her guest at a long wooden table. "You two were dating previously, am I right?"

"We broke up a little less than two weeks ago, yes," her guest hissed through clenched teeth. "She had been acting strange."

"In what way?" Sango asked curiously. "You were her boyfriend after all, right Mr. Koyasu?"

"Will you stop making me admit that?" Mr. Koyasu yelled, standing up from his chair and glaring evilly towards Sango, who merely nodded her head and gestured for him to sit down.

"Alright then, let's move on to your relationship with Yuri. How long had you two dated?"

"Less than a month I believe."

"And when did she start acting strangely?"

"Around the week before she died."

"For an ex-lover you don't sound too sorry about it?" Sango asked, smirking. "Did she dump you?"

"Screw you," Mr. Koyasu hissed.

"Well then," Sango said in a slightly bored tone. "Let me read this report. Hmm, yes from what I see here you were very pissed that she broke it off with you. And you ran because she threatened to call the police? Right, Gatenmaru?"

He hissed and Gatenmaru's demonic red eyes flared for a moment. "I told you-"

"Oh, right…right I'm sorry," Sango said dismally and shrugged. "So she broke it off with you around…?"

"It was last week, when she started acting bitchy."

"I thought it was strangely, not bitchy," Sango said firmly and glared at him, her brown eyes hard. "You know, you are a very high suspect for her murder Gatenmaru."

"That's Mr. Koyasu to you, _Ms. Houko_."

"Got it, so did you murder Yuri? Did the anger of being rejected hurt you? Did your pride reduce to nothing but ashes after it all? Was the threat to call the police too much to bear? Did you murder Yuri Wadena?"

"No!" he yelled. "You have nothing on me!"

"You have no alibi for that night," Sango pointed out. "You have absolutely nothing therefore I do have something on you. Not only that but the fact that you're a drunk and have a previous history of violence… I'm sorry to say it doesn't look good Mr. Koyasu."

"Fine, look for a Tamara Ryan, I was with her. Oh, and for the record, I'm not sorry that that bitch is dead."

* * *

_**Next Chapter: **Secrets- The result of Kagome's slamming left the truck rocking slightly and Inuyasha turned to shrug at Sango when he noticed that she too, was gone. What was with women?_

**_Review! (I love it when you do!)_**

**_...That rhymed, oops._**


	8. Secrets

**_Okay, well many chapters ago I'd been asked if I (finally) liked this story. I didn't answer because I still didn't know it myself. But then I realized how to end it._**

_**And now I like it.**_

_**I like it a lot.**_

**_And just to let you know, I'm smiling very evilly._**

_**Disclaimer: No, I don't own Inuyasha –sigh-

* * *

**_

_Chapter Seven: Secrets_

She remembered them all so clearly.

First, it was the death of Kikyo Hidaka: murdered in a parking lot and brutalized with stabs all over her genital areas and face. Second was the death of Rin Noto: nearly decapitated and stabbed to the heart, laid out in burial fashion. Third was a woman named Faye Richards: brutalized with her chocolate brown eyes gouged out with acid and finally, the fourth one was named Koharu Irvin: shot to the head with her long black locks shaved off and sprinkled on her.

Kagome remembered them all so clearly.

Apparently, so did Inuyasha. The minute she saw Kikyo's name in that notebook, Kagome realized that these stories were more explainable than it seemed. Hell, it definitely explained how she wrote the death of Yuri Wadena the night of the actual murder. She could write the murders as it happened.

Kikyo, Rin, Koharu and Faye, all of them were real women. All of them were once made of flesh and blood, not of paper and ink. No wonder the murders and emotions had been so real on paper. They had been real emotions from the beginning.

It was then that something within Kagome clicked and she started to flip through the pages of the notebook. Her heart was racing and she could've sworn she was hyperventilating like she was running some sort of race. The next page in the notebook was of the death of Rin, the next page notes on Faye and then at last, the death of Koharu.

Out of the corner of her eye, silver hair flashed and she saw that Inuyasha was making his way down the driveway, finally finished with his work. A little while ago she saw Sango and Miroku drive off. Miroku had filled her in before he left that Sango was going back to the station because they had found and brought in a man named Gatenmaru Koyasu, Yuri's past boyfriend and that he was going back to finish some work.

So, she was stuck alone in Inuyasha's car since he still wouldn't let her go. Talk about possessive. God…

When she saw his determined face though as he approached, Kagome did the only thing that she could have. She put the book back, leaned against the chair and pretended to be asleep. Her car door opened and Inuyasha's laughter could be heard.

"Get up, I know you're awake."

"I'm sleeping," Kagome said in a tired voice. "Go away."

"No can do Kagome," Inuyasha said easily and then shut her car door. She thought he was finally going to leave her alone, contradicting what he said but no one ever mentioned that he was smart. Of course, in another moment the driver's door was opened and Inuyasha hopped in.

"We need to talk."

Kagome groaned and covered her eyes with her arm. "Why? Is this going to lead me to punch you again like I did this morning?"

"God, I hope not," Inuyasha muttered. "You have quite the punch, I'll admit that much," he said louder, enough so that she could hear.

Kagome smirked. "I better."

"Why, did you do kickboxing?"

"Something like that," she murmured and then looked out the window. "Anyways, what is this talk about?"

He noticed the slight change in subject but let it slide. "Two things actually, the first one being _what the hell happened back there?_" Inuyasha then winced; he had meant to make that a little nicer.

Kagome obviously expected it. "Somehow we connected when I was too deep. You heard a portion of what I was hearing."

"A portion?" he exclaimed. "You mean you hear a lot more than that?"

"Oh yeah," Kagome said easily. "You have no idea. So what's the second thing?"

Inuyasha noticed she was tense. So far, whatever he seemed to bring up was a touchy subject with her. "Oh, um…" That's intelligent Inuyasha; you might as well ask her to marry you. "Uh…right! How do you know Kikyo?"

Kagome's face turned stony. "What are you talking about?"

"Kikyo…earlier at the library, Kouga heard you say her name."

"He must have been mistaken. I've never met someone named Kikyo." Well, at least that was part of the truth. She had never _met_ Kikyo, she just wrote her death.

"I don't think so," Inuyasha said calmly. "Kouga has amazing hearing and he wouldn't easily mistake something like that."

"Well he did. Why, who is this Kikyo person?" Kagome asked innocently, trying to look as if she was merely bored and continuing conversation.

"You don't want to know."

"Oh but I do," Kagome said light-heartedly. "You've brought this woman up so now I want to know exactly who she is."

"She's…no one. Forget it."

"Not likely," Kagome said mildly and then stared out the window. "So are you going to drive me home?"

Inuyasha sighed, realizing that he wasn't going to get any more answers from her. He decided to try talking about that 'connection' thingy they had. "So, do you care to explain why we connected at the warehouse?"

"It's not that exciting," Kagome countered.

"But I think it would be fascinating," Inuyasha smirked; his voice light but heavily filled with sarcasm.

"Your headache," Kagome shrugged and then started. "Everything is made of energy. Energy is the start and end of it all. My abilities are just a mental…growth that can tap into the specific energy needed to talk to dead people."

"Great, so how come we connected?"

Kagome smiled ruefully. "Not a clue."

"Hasn't this happened before?" Inuyasha asked, taking his eyes of the road and looking at her. Her face seemed abnormally pale and her chocolate eyes were heavy and dark. Her hair was tangled and slightly frizzy but he just thought of it as the heat. Almost as if she was conscious of his thinking, she ran a hand through her black mane.

"Nope, this has never happened before."

"So I'm guessing you've accepted the fact that you're a medium?"

Kagome struggled to find an answer suitable enough. "Let me put it this way, I'm nine-tenths of the way there."

Inuyasha nodded and stopped at a red light at the intersection that debated if he wanted to go to her house or the station. Just then, his cell rang.

"Yes?"

"_Tamara Ryan, does it ring a bell?"_

Inuyasha thought for a moment, the sound of the voice confirming that it was Sango he was talking to. "Oh, you mean Tammy? Yeah I know her, why?"

"_I've talked to the boyfriend. He says he was with this Tammy girl at the time of the murder."_

"You mean, at one in the morning?" Inuyasha sounded skeptical.

"_Apparently so, do you know where she lives?"_

"See lives down Buffy Street, number one-fifty-six I recall."

"_Recall? How well do you know this Tamara?"_

"She was Yuri's best friend and when Kouga and Yuri were dating, they invited us along for a double."

"_Ah, will there be any awkward tension?"_

"I don't think so. We never met after that."

"_Meet you there?"_

"I guess but I have Kagome with me. Oh, never mind, I'll just bring her."

He closed the cell and put off looking at Kagome's particularly ticked off face.

"Obviously I don't get a say in this," she said slowly and scowled.

Inuyasha smirked as he did a U-turn. "Obviously."

* * *

Tamara Ryan was having a really bad day. Fiery red hair that was too smooth and too sleek to be natural flew when she looked around the room nervously and her pale, now chapped lips moistened as she bit the top lip. She was in trouble and in a lot of it.

The square cubicle of eight feet was fairly large compared to the others and she and Yuri had been lucky enough to get these so-called "offices."

They had to work for it, their boss had said.

And depending on how you looked at it, they had. Very, very hard.

Too bad Yuri didn't live long enough to thoroughly enjoy it.

Glancing at the small happy face clock that she got for a dollar at one of those cheap bargain stores, Tamara shook her head and glanced back at the desktop that sat in front of her. Her long hands and perfectly manicured nails rested limply over the keyboard as she studied the last sentence of the previously written paragraph. She couldn't remember what she had written.

And after six times of rereading it, she still wasn't any closer.

"Hey Tammy!"

Turning around in her seat, Tammy came face to face with MyogaOgata, her boss and... Well she wouldn't go there. That was old news and now everything was strictly professional.

"Hi Myoga. What can I do for you?"

"Oh Tammy, I know it's been hard especially with Yuri's death and all. I can't believe she was murdered."

"I can hardly believe it myself," Tammy answered automatically. She didn't want to discuss this. She tried to stray off topic by giving him a gentle smile. "So what did you want me to do?"

"Well, we still don't have a…new worker," Myoga said, switching the word 'replacement' for 'new worker.' "I just need these timesheets for this weeks pay-check put in to the system and then you can go home and take the rest of the night off. Okay?"

"Thank you Myoga," Tammy said quietly and then resumed working, waiting for the old man to leave. When he finally did, she sighed and looked back at the clock. Twenty more minutes… Just twenty more minutes and she could go home.

She hoped.

Tammy checked her cell that was on vibrate and attached to her jeans' loophole. When the screen flashed up, she held her breath until she saw that there were no missed calls.

Good. No one needed her tonight.

So far at least.

It was six o'clock and there was plenty of time for someone to call. Just the thought of it made her stomach turn. She wanted out, oh God did she want out.

She just hoped that when she got home, everything would be all right.

* * *

"She's not here," Sango stated, leaning against the driver's door when Inuyasha pulled his vehicle up. He gazed at the small bungalow and sighed, shaking his head.

"It's never that easy," he muttered to himself and then looked at Kagome who was looking ticked out the window. He smiled despite himself and nudged her. "Oh come on princess. I'm having a much worse day than you are. You sat in the truck all day; I had to deal with crap so stop acting all angry at me."

Kagome just turned her head slowly towards him, her brown eyes flared red but dull and it was just something in the way she looked at him that made him recoil.

"Wow, a little PMS there?"

Sango, who was just outside the window glared at the back of Inuyasha's head and stormed away, not wanting to watch the disaster that was about to occur.

Helpful hint: never say a girl is PMS-ing. She'll shoot you if she has the chance. Especially if she really _is_.

Kagome banged her head against the back of the passenger seat and then flipped the switch to unlock her door and got out, slamming the door as hard as she possibly could.

The result of Kagome's slamming left the truck rocking slightly and Inuyasha turned to shrug at Sango when he noticed that she too, was gone. What was it with women? When he looked towards Kagome he could clearly hear the insults and crude words she was calling him. Sighing, Inuyasha threw his car into reverse and pulled out of the driveway, following Kagome down the road which she walked.

"That selfish jerk…asshole… He should burn in Hell, Jesus Christ oh please…"

Inuyasha rolled his eyes and when he was right beside her he rolled down the window.

"_Wow, a little PMS there?"_ Kagome mocked, still not looking towards him. "I've been sitting in that God forsaken truck all day with nothing to do and nowhere to go, sitting at crime scenes and old buildings. I haven't talked to anyone but that jerk all day and I haven't eaten since breakfast! He is so inconsiderate and didn't even give me a choice whether I wanted to be here or not!" She continued to storm down the road and Inuyasha still followed, getting angrier as he listened to the constant putdowns. Okay then, if she was going to call him names and curse him, he would happily play along.

"Look wench, what the hell are you doing?"

"I'm walking home!" she screamed, still not looking at him. "I can't stand you!"

"Well that doesn't matter right now because it will take you about an hour, maybe more to get home. Trite may be a small town but it's a long walk once you live in the outskirts."

"Then get Sango to drive me home. If I look at you I swear to God I'll punch you so hard your nose is going to break indefinitely."

Inuyasha rolled his eyes at her childishness. "Oh? And how are you going to do that?"

Kagome smirked. "Like this."

* * *

Tammy couldn't keep the smile off her face. No one had called, Myoga had let her go home early for time to grieve and she was free. As long as no one called within the next hour, she was fine. She would be okay.

She pulled down her road and bounced up and down to the beat of the music that filled her car. _"Am I ever on your mind? I can't stop thinking of you I tried…"_

Her house was almost in view, everything was going to be just fine. _"Like the song where the title, you can't find and to everything else you're blind…"_

It was then that she saw the black glint of another vehicle in her driveway. Her brow furrowed in confusion. She didn't know anyone that had a black vehicle like that, only the chief or police… Shit.

"_The world keeps spinning but time stands still…"_

She pulled into the drive and was both frustrated and relieved to see that it was the chief. He probably just wanted to talk about Yuri.

"Ms. Ryan?" Inuyasha asked when she stepped out of the car and she nodded.

"You want to talk about Yuri, right?" She couldn't really see him well in the driveway. The only thing that made her positive that it was the chief was the fact that his silver hair glinted beautifully under the flickering, dying streetlamp a couple feet away.

"Actually, I want to talk about a man named Gatenmaru Koyasu."

Her body went cold all over. This was exactly what she didn't want to happen but it was inevitable. He was here and there was nothing she could do about that. "Fine, come on in."

He nodded and together they made their way inside the house. She flicked on the lights and kicked off her shoes, Inuyasha doing the same as he followed her into the kitchen where she gestured for him to sit. "What about Gatenmaru?" she asked hastily when he did.

"He's a suspect for the murder of Yuri and he says that you were with him around the time of her death."

"He did, did he?" she murmured to herself and shook her head. "I try not to listen to the talk around this town. There's a lot of it, you know?"

Inuyasha nodded ruefully. "Yes, I know. But I can't really help that. The media has been taken care of by our staff and so far, nothing had gotten out of hand. Tamara…"

"Call me Tammy," she said quietly. "Most do."

"Tammy, I'm sorry for what happened to Yuri. I mean-"

"It's okay," she cut off. "What time did she die?"

Inuyasha shifted his weight uneasily. "One in the morning."

For the first time, Tammy looked at him, her baby blue eyes searching his face. She showed no expression in her features but after a minute, her face twisted.

"What happened to your nose?" she asked curiously, studying the bruising around it and the faint redness to the area.

Inuyasha grunted. "A tourist got unruly," he said simply but Tammy shook her head.

"There haven't been any tourists at all, liar. There are only the two newcomers. You've met them right?"

"Yeah," Inuyasha said, slightly perturbed that he couldn't convince a chic that spent her entire day in an office that it was a tourist that attacked him and not the newcomer who he just pissed off.

A lot.

"Anyways, yes, I was with Gatenmaru around one in the morning."

"May I ask why?" Inuyasha asked. She seemed to tense but she answered the question anyways.

"He came to me to see if I could convince Yuri to get back together with him. He was drunk so I kept him here a while until he sobered up a bit and then sent him packing around quarter to one. He couldn't have been able to get to Yuri's house in that time."

"How do you know she was at her house?"

"Because she called me."

"When?"

"Just before I sent Gatenmaru on his way."

"Why?"

"I don't know."

Inuyasha smirked. "Yes you do. You're just not telling. Look, I can bring you in to the station to do this or we can do it in the comfort of your own home. I want you to answer me directly."

"Yuri didn't get out of the business," Tammy said out in one breath.

"I know. We found the warehouse," Inuyasha stated and Tammy looked at him, shocked. "We matched some DNA on the lips of the mask to hers. After all these years, everyone thought she quit."

"She couldn't stop. She liked the feeling of controlling men. I guess it was because of her father who used to beat her, I'm not sure. But after she was caught, it took her only a week of break before she started again, this time secretly. Back then she was too young, it was considered rape but now…"

"So what does this have to do with Yuri calling you at one in the morning?"

"She wanted to know where I was," Tammy answered simply. "She didn't sound scared or anything. In fact, I think she was happy. It was just fifteen minutes later I guess that she died."

"Were you supposed to be over at Yuri's? Is that why she called?"

Tammy laughed bitterly. "Yeah, that's why she called."

"What made you change your mind about going?" he asked.

Tammy looked at him strangely. "It was because of her that…I'm still in the business too. I wanted to get out of it, Yuri wouldn't let me. Personally, now that she's dead I'm freer." Just then her phone went off and she smiled hatefully. "And before you ask if I stayed at the house, I did. Ask him," she said, handing Inuyasha her phone. "I was in the bed all night."

_**

* * *

Next Chapter: Derision – **__"She's gone chief and I don't think she's ever coming back."_Derision – 

_**Please review!**_


	9. Derision

_**Disclaimer: No I don't. Happy?**_

_

* * *

Chapter Eight: Derision _

"_I heard that she was hacked to bits."_

"_What are you talking about? I heard that she was kept perfectly in one piece, with just the knife in her heart!"_

The hushed voices within the café gave an uneasy tension and Kirara Nekomata let out a deep sigh as she dried the final glass.

"_And apparently they found out that she was into child pornography…"_

"_That's vulgar! Yuri would never do something like that!"_

"_Well, sixteen years ago she was one of those...what do you call them?"_

"Dominatrix," Kirara muttered to herself as she filled the newly dried glass of orange juice and walked over to the waiting table. "Is there anything else I can get you?"

The man sitting at the table had a very calm and charming smile, one that would probably never let him have lonely nights. His violet eyes twinkled and his long neatly combed black hair was put into a small rat's tail in the back and when he gave her a flash of that heart-breaking smile, Kirara couldn't help but smile back.

"Oh no, I'm fine thank you…Kirara," the man said as he read her nametag. She noticed however that his eyes strayed a little longer when reading it then needed but then he looked at her and smiled once more. "I'm Miroku; it's nice to meet you."

"It's nice to meet you too," she said simply. "Hey, are you the one that moved into that shrine with the strange woman?"

Miroku laughed at the already put title on his friend. "You mean Kagome?"

Sheepishly, Kirara nodded. "Sorry, I didn't mean-"

"No worries," he said immediately. "Yes, we just moved here. It's quite different then what we're used to."

"Where did you live before?" Kirara asked, slightly curious to where he came from. Someone like him with his personality probably came from the…

"In the city, we lived downtown in the heart of it. Kagome didn't like it anymore though. It was pretty difficult for her to get around there."

Kirara knew it was rude to butt into their life like this but there was just something odd about him. She just couldn't place it. "Why?"

Miroku laughed once more and shook his head. "Inuyasha was right; Trite doesn't hear much about what's the hottest new thing."

"One of the flaws I'm afraid," she said dryly. "Is Kagome an actress or…?"

"She's an authoress."

"Ah," Kirara said, understanding now. "Things like that don't hit us until a couple months later. It's sad, really."

Miroku nodded and then looked out the window near his table. His face seemed to light up and then when Kirara saw what he was looking at, she mentally laughed.

"Well, I have to get back to the counter. Bye," she said and watched as Miroku practically ignored her, watching the woman outside with such intensity it was bordering the lines of obsession.

The doorbell rang as the woman walked in and Kirara started grabbing the large paper cups. "Hey Sango, is it the usual?"

Sango walked up to the counter and sighed. "Yeah, I need two large double-doubles, one large regular, three large black, two medium lattes, one small de-cafe, and one large cappuccino."

Kirara worked frivolously at her task and then spared a quick glance at Miroku who was still watching Sango. Giggling, she caught Sango's attention. "You have an admirer," she whispered and Sango looked as if she turned white.

"I _knew_ that was his car!" she exclaimed quietly and then turned to look around the room. To her disappointment, Miroku sat at his table, waving her over.

Kirara laughed. "How do you know him? Isn't he new?"

"It's a long story," Sango muttered. Finally, she walked over to Miroku who smiled his charming smile and stood up to greet her.

"Hello Sango! How are you this fine morning?"

"Okay I guess. How's Kagome?"

Miroku winced. "In a _really_ bad mood, that's why I'm here for breakfast. What did Inuyasha do? All she would tell me was that he pissed her off…again."

Sango nodded, thinking. "Chief is a great guy, you got to know that but…sometimes he can become very single-minded when it comes to his job. Last night he just forgot Kagome's needs and well, that didn't go over with her too good."

"Well, she's going to have to forgive him sometime or else I might just have to come and live with you."

Sango laughed nervously at Miroku's almost promising gleam. "Oh, don't be silly Miroku. Really."

Miroku shook his head. "No, actually I'm serious. If she throws another one of my papers into the fire, I might just lose something important and may need financial help so I'd _have_ to live with you."

Sango looked at him deadpanned. "Here, then you can help me carry these cups to my truck and then follow me to the station. I'm sure together we can make a very good argument."

It was then that he neared her…it almost looked like he was going to give her a hug…

_Slap_

* * *

Inuyasha Taisho hated mornings with a passion. There were many problems with them: it meant you had to wake up, it meant you were no longer allowed to sleep and it meant you had put up with a whole new bundle of fun and joy. 

Yay!

But now, after the murder of Yuri, things were just about to get better.

Please note the sarcasm.

Starting with his _pleasant_ conversation with Tammy yesterday, people had been noticing the slight bruising around his nose. The redness was gone and because of his demon blood the bruising should be gone by dinner time, but that still didn't mean people couldn't see it for the time being.

Comments like: "Wow chief, you look like crap," and "Who did you piss off now?" constantly rung a bell and pretty soon, he was finishing the officers' sentences.

"Chief!"

Inuyasha turned around to see Sango running up, a large coffee cup in her hand. "Here you go- wow! She must have hit you hard since its still-"

"There, I know. I said it before that that…ugh, wench has a good punch. Honestly…" He took a sip of his coffee and sighed. One large black coffee could make all his problems go away.

Until another problem made its way toward him.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Inuyasha barked startling Miroku and making him jump slightly.

Miroku shifted from foot-to-foot, looking at Sango for help. She sighed bitterly and gave Inuyasha a stern look. "Apologize to Kagome, chief. She's going to kill Miroku here if you don't."

"Why me?" Inuyasha whined sounding way too childish for his age. He might as well start learning his ABC's and 123's. "She's was the one that hit _me_. If anyone should be apologizing it should be _her_."

"Look," Miroku said hastily, not wanting Inuyasha to start thinking that way. "How about you bring Kagome to that restaurant in town? It was the first thing she pointed out when we got here so why don't you take her to dinner? After that, everything should be fine."

"No." And with that, Inuyasha walked away.

"Wait a minute!" Miroku yelled. "Come on, she really wants to go!"

"With me?" Inuyasha asked expressionless. "I seriously doubt it."

Miroku scoffed. "Inuyasha, just because Kagome punched you in the nose doesn't mean she won't accept your invitation to go for dinner. In fact, I think she'll jump at the chance."

Sango nodded. "I think you should ask her too. Think about it chief. How long has it been since your last date?"

Inuyasha stared blankly at Sango wishing dearly that she was dead.

"My point exactly!" Sango exclaimed when the silence persisted. "Too long to remember so how about at seven? I'll make reservations right now and you can call her?"

"No Sango, I don't-"

"Chief," Kouga yelled. "Bad news!"

"I think it would be in your best interest…" Miroku rambled on.

"Tammy left a-"

"Or should you pick her up at six?"

"I think there is definitely a connection there…"

"She's gone so-"

"SHUT UP!" Inuyasha roared and stared ruthlessly at Kouga (who he had put on office duty since the warehouse incident), Miroku and Sango. Draining more than half his cup of coffee in one gulp, Inuyasha threw the cup in the garbage that was near the door to his office. "Alright, how about this? Sango, make it for six-thirty. Miroku, get out of the station. Kouga, come and tell me in my office. Now all of you _move_."

Walking slowly into his office, Inuyasha collapsed in the leather chair and massaged his temples. "What did I do in my past life to deserve this?" Inuyasha mumbled.

Kouga tried not to smile. "Knowing you, you probably just ended up pissing off the wrong person. Like you did last night. By the way, what happened?"

Inuyasha glared at the wolf demon and through gritted teeth said, "What is the news you have to report Matsuno?"

Grumbling, Kouga replied. "It's Tammy chief. Gatenmaru just called, he was going to see her –probably to harass her again- when he saw that her truck wasn't in the driveway. He busted through her door I guess because he saw that all her belongings in the house were gone and in the end so is she."

Inuyasha merely blinked. This news was _not_ what he wanted to hear. "What?"

"Tammy ran. She's gone chief and I don't think she's ever coming back."

* * *

Kagome wished the sun would burn and die. 

Even though, the sun was already burning, it didn't mean it couldn't get hotter and die.

Could the sun die anyways?

She thought so but then again it had been burning all these years, so why not burn another century? The least it could do was go out the day before _she_ died so that she could finally get one long sleep without waking up to brightness. But no, that was not very likely to happen.

And yes, she was thinking about killing the sun.

…

Kagome groaned loudly and pulled the heavy comforter over her face, blocking out the sun's rays that peeked through the uncovered lines of the blinds that hung at her window. She just wanted to sleep…

Yesterday had been Hell. Inuyasha –the pretentious, brainless, ill-mannered, narcissistic, self-interested, egotistical bastard- had just been so pretentious, brainless, ill-mannered, narcissistic, self-interested and egotistical that she never wanted to see him again.

Ever.

If they accused her for the murder of Yuri, she would make sure Sango did it and that Inuyasha wouldn't even be in visual sight of her. If she did see him, she might actually break his nose, or break something else off.

She was just that pissed off.

So, imagine her joy when Miroku called two minutes later, forcing Kagome out of bed wearing nothing but silk shorts and a tank top to the kitchen where her cell phone was located.

"What do you want Miroku?" she asked emotionless. She thought she had already scared him out of the house.

"_Good afternoon Kagome. How are you feeling? Any better since I left?"_

"Not especially."

"_Well that's good,"_ Miroku went on absentmindedly. _"I hope you're ready for tonight."_

Kagome frowned. "What are you talking about Miroku? What's going on tonight?"

She could hear a loud slap on the other end. A shout of 'he hasn't called her yet?' rang from the other end and Kagome could distinctly pick out Sango's voice. When Miroku started talking again, his voice seemed strained. _"Nothing's going on Kagome. Sorry, did I get you up from your nap?"_

"Don't change the subject you lecher," Kagome said firmly. "What's going on?"

_Slap_

"_Ouch, that hurt Sango! I'm sorry Kagome but I have to go!"_

Then the line went dead.

Figures.

Then the phone rang again.

"_It's Inuyasha."_

"I know; I have caller ID."

"_Well I didn't know that,"_ his voice sounded huffy. _"Whatever, look do you want to go to Suki's tonight?"_

"You mean that restaurant?" she asked hesitantly. Why was he asking her out? Why wasn't he apologizing first?

"_Yes. Do you want to?"_

Kagome looked at the phone and glared daggers at it, wishing it was Inuyasha. Of all the nerve to call her up, ask her on a date and not even apologize for last night was brutal. She answered him without hesitance.

"No."

Then she hung up.

Glancing at the clock and seeing that it was already two in the afternoon, she decided to get up and ready but her thoughts kept straying to Miroku and his conversation. He and Sango must have planned the dinner.

"Why was he even with Sango anyways?"

* * *

"Why was he even with Kirara anyways?" Nazuna Orikasa yelled, balling her eyes out as she talked to her best friend Tsubaki Mizuka in the washroom of the small café. "He was two-timing me! I can't believe it!" 

Tsubaki didn't even seem to be paying attention. She just nodded dumbly and played with a long strand of raven black hair. Her dark blue, almost black eyes glinted dully as she glanced at her friend. "Shippo has always had a reputation like that Nazuna, you knew the risk."

"I thought he would be loyal to me!" she sobbed out, attempting to dry her tears but to no avail. "He was just so…perfect."

"Evil wears a beautiful face," Tsubaki remarked.

"But Kirara…she acts like she didn't even know I was his girlfriend! And just seeing her here, working and smiling like there's no tomorrow is just so frustrating!"

Tsubaki bit her deep red bottom lip, her pale face scrunching under thought. Hugging her friend, she let go reluctantly and sighed. "Come on let's go get some ice-cream. My treat, I promise."

"Can we go to the new ice-cream shop?" Nazuna asked her eyes watery.

Tsubaki shook her head, a small regretful smile on her face. "You just want to pass Shippo's house don't you?"

Nazuna's long dark brown bangs covered the girls green eyes. "…Yes."

"Then let's go to the shop near the police station. The ice-cream there is so much better. Nazuna, you have to let him go. Trust me on this one. Revenge doesn't solve anything."

Nazuna nodded and sighed in defeat.

* * *

Kagome wanted to kill Miroku. Best friend or no best friend he had still betrayed her. If he hadn't threatened to undress Kagome himself, she wouldn't be in this position but knowing Miroku (sadly), she knew she had no other choice than to get "dressed up." 

And for what, you may ask?

Why, her date with _Inuyasha_, the humdrum, gratuitous, vain, "high and mighty", supercilious and eye-catching -wait, she was getting off track- _jerk_ in the world.

And no, she was not exaggerating.

Miroku had literally forced her to get dressed and ready for her date with Inuyasha, even though she had already turned him down, Miroku had warned her that she would have to sleep with her eyes open –in a matter of speaking- in case he got "out of control." She doubted Miroku would ever do anything like that towards her, she could already tell he was attracted to Sango, but with him you could never tell.

The biggest reason she called him back though to apologize and ask if dinner was still on, was because given her social record, her last date had been three years ago.

And maybe a slight attraction to the half-demon…but that was beside the point.

Studying her self in the mirror as she finished applying the smooth pale gloss to her lips, Kagome sighed and shook her head. How did she get in these messes? Why was he even asking her out anyways?

Just then, the doorbell went as she glanced hastily at the small clock in her bathroom that she had set up so she would never be late. It was quarter-after-six and she still had to do her hair!

"Miroku, get the door will you?"

"I'm busy!"

Kagome growled, frustrated. "And I feel half-naked in this outfit you picked out for me tonight. Just get the door, I'm not ready yet!"

Miroku's figure appeared in the doorway and he gave her a look-over, nodding before walking over and ruffling her hair.

"Hey! Miroku, what are you doing?"

"Guys like the wild, sexy look. See? Now you're ready." Pushing her out of the bathroom, Miroku smiled. "Now, go answer the door!"

Kagome jogged to the front door and opened it, slightly flustered and out of breath from screaming and fighting and jogging. When she saw Inuyasha though and his wide-eyed expression, she began to wonder what she was really getting into that night.

_

* * *

He's practically drooling, it's sickening. And look at her clothes. _

_Slut._

_I should do away with her, right now. But I can't, I have to wait._

_She has to be last, always last. _

_The longest to suffer and fear and I want to watch that beautiful naïve face as the life drains out of her eyes. I want to see her burn in Hell._

_Bitch._

_But now, now I must take care of the other. She's going to die too._

_She is just like her._

_And soon, they will know my secret._

_And four can keep a secret…as long as three of them are dead._

_**

* * *

Next Chapter: Amalgamation- Something was there dammit, and she be damned if she could stop it. **_

_**Please Review!**_


	10. Amalgamation

**Disclaimer: Nope, I don't. Sorry.**

* * *

Chapter Nine: Amalgamation 

"Here."

Kagome gazed into amber orbs that stared at her with an incredible intensity. In his hand laid her pink jewel necklace and he gave off a small smirk before shaking his head and leaning back in his chair.

They had finally made it to the restaurant in the middle of town. Kagome had been prepping herself up for when Inuyasha walked in the door so she could give him a piece of her mind. After what he had done, he had some sort of ugly nerve for actually showing up but then… When she had opened the door, something unexpected had happened.

She felt butterflies.

An odd but pleasurable sensation washed over her as she gazed at him gently while he did the same. He looked almost shocked as he glanced at her but considering the lazy and unflattering clothes she had been wearing every time he came, it was no wonder. But now she was dressed up, makeup and hair styled with a pair of baby blue low-risers with a beautiful pink top that had thin satin pink straps and showed off her stomach. The back of the cloth was beautiful since it was backless with only a small part attached at the bottom and the rest was a criss-cross of the satin straps being tied together in the end with a bow. Along with a pair of dangly silver earrings and a silver chain bracelet, Kagome had looked better than she had in a couple months.

Maybe an outing with Inuyasha wouldn't be so bad.

Then they made it over to Suki's restaurant and he apparently made reservations at an isolated part of the place with candles and a large window so they had a good view of the almost full moon.

"It's beautiful," she had murmured breathless and couldn't believe he had gone to so much trouble for this. Of course, there was the entire possibility that _Sango_ had done all of this but oh well; he was here, wasn't he?

Now he had just given her back her necklace, the pink jewel glowing radiantly as she caressed it with her thumb. She smiled and shook her head, trying to form words but none of them coming. Their entire time at the restaurant everything had been quiet, they had ordered and then sat in comfortable silence.

Finally, she thought of the words to speak.

"Thank you…Inuyasha."

He looked at her startled. His silver hair glinted in the moonlight and she couldn't help but giggle softly. "For what?" he asked quizzically, unsure of what else to say.

"I guess…for everything. I mean excluding the time you were rude, ignorant, and obtrusive-"

Inuyasha scoffed. "Can we get to the point?"

Kagome huffed and scowled towards the half-demon. "You didn't let me finish! Sure, you have really…annoying qualities but you also have saved me from more than you would ever know or understand. And also, you didn't question me so far that I couldn't take it anymore. You believe me."

Inuyasha had a witty comment ready and at the tip of his tongue but when the smell of salty water hit him, he couldn't speak. Words wouldn't form and he felt nervous, useless. Why was she crying? Dammit, why was she _crying_?

She sniffed and laughed gently. "Crap, I didn't mean to start crying on you. Damn these female hormones." She wiped away the couple tears on her cheeks and looked at him gently. "Did my makeup run?"

Inuyasha couldn't have thought up a more ridiculous question to ask. Honestly, at a time like this she was worrying if her _makeup_ was running?

Women.

Shaking his head, he felt obligated to jump back to the previous conversation and to clear himself of his actions. "I know you didn't do it for the fact that you have the physical incapability to stab a knife that deeply and carelessly. The first time you punched me was more than just to see how far I could push you; it was to see how hard you could hit. Not only that but…you just couldn't."

"You mean I wouldn't have the psychological strength to do it." Kagome nodded her head but then she bit her lower lip worriedly. "What about me finding Yuri's place? Apparently I wasn't myself."

"Not at all," Inuyasha said almost absentmindedly. "Kagome, what happened? Between us I mean?"

Kagome once again laughed, only this time humourless with a tinge of bitterness. "I've been asking myself the very same question for the last two nights since it happened. I don't know Inuyasha, I really don't. Somehow, we connected; not just physically but mentally. You heard them, didn't you? The voices I hear."

Inuyasha licked his lips to wet them but only nodded.

"I figured. You had that same look in your eyes that I have. Freaky, isn't it?" She shook her head. "I guess Miroku or Sango told you that if I go too deep I can end up probably dying?"

He just nodded again, recalling what Sango had told him from Miroku who had told her. He was so at a loss for words, nothing would come to him but Kagome seemed to understand. She looked down to her empty plate where her dinner once was. Inuyasha seemed to be done too and he waved the waiter over, asking for the bill which momentarily stopped their conversation. When the waiter came back, he paid it exactly and they stood up, leaving the restaurant together.

Neither of them spoke a word, nothing really being able to be said. Kagome couldn't explain what happened between them and she was ready to open herself completely to him. He had just gotten on her good side, he was nothing more.

Somehow, she doubted it. That connection they made at the warehouse changed it and he knew it too.

When they finally got to her house, all the lights but the kitchen's were off and Kagome figured Miroku was in bed. It was well after midnight and the night was dark, the only sounds to be heard were the rustling of the trees and bushes around them.

"Kagome…"

"Inuyasha…" they said in unison. They both looked away from each other, Kagome's cheeks wielding a small blush.

Why was she _blushing **dammit**_

"Well, thank you Inuyasha. Tonight was wonderful…"

"Yeah." Inuyasha's gaze caught hers and before she knew it, she was wrapped up in his arms, her own around his neck with their lips crushed upon one another.

Something was there dammit, and she be damned if she could stop it.

* * *

_Bitch. _

_She thinks she better than everyone else._

_Just like her, oh so much like **her**_

_All of those tears and all of those glares._

_She thinks she's the world or that it revolves under her feet. _

_Bitch._

_She's not important._

_She's doesn't deserve to laugh and flirt._

_She doesn't deserve to breath._

_She doesn't deserve to live._

_And she will die._

_As long as everything goes my way, she will die._

_The game is in my favour and it my turn next.

* * *

_

_Tick-toc._

_Tick-toc._

Something was different.

_Tick-toc._

_Tick-toc._

Where was she?

_Tick-toc._

_Tick-toc._

Oh please God no.

A fan…she heard the familiar sound of a fan whirling around in the midst of the silence surrounding her. Her eyelids were heavy and she struggled to see when she opened her eyes, a light blinding her.

_Tick-toc._

_Tick-toc._

She blinked and at last, she understood. At last, she saw.

She was at her computer, it was two-thirty in the morning and she had written another story, one that was five hundred and two pages long.

Another story, another victim, another death.

Both in her fictional world and reality.

Kagome broke down and did the only thing she could do, she screamed.

* * *

The telephone ringed.

Inuyasha cursed and threw the covers over his head, hoping that it was just going to go away. Too bad he had no such luck.

Lazily, Inuyasha grabbed his cell on his night table without sitting up and flipped it open.

"What?"

"_Inuyasha, it's Miroku."_

"Reason for calling?" Inuyasha asked simply, not wanting introductions but the only thing that was keeping him from hanging up was the strange noise in the background of Miroku's end. It sounded like someone rambling and mumbling. Whoever it was sounded terrified… Shit. Kagome…

"_Kagome… There's another dead body. This time the scene hasn't been tampered with. I'll explain more later but just go to- Just a minute."_

Miroku's voice became gentle and Inuyasha could hear him murmuring soothing words. 'Kagome, where is it? You have to tell me where it is.'

So it was Kagome in the background. What was wrong with her? Was the body out in the open since the scene hasn't been tampered with? How did Kagome even find it? The final question scared him more than the others. That's the second body Kagome found in two weeks. This wasn't looking good for her. Of course, he could be her alibi easily but it all depended on the second body.

"_At the café in town,"_ Miroku said wearily. _"That's where you'll find her."_

"How do you know it's a 'her'?" asked Inuyasha. "Is she in the café or not? How did Kagome find the body? Was she in town earlier this morning?"

He checked the clock to see that it was only six and most of the residents would be asleep still. This was not good.

"_I'll explain more later, go now."_

Inuyasha ended the call and jumped out of bed, throwing on the clothes that were laid out in case of emergency and ran out the door, grabbing the keys with his cell phone in hand. Speed dialling Sango's number, he told her to meet him and called for Ayame, Hiten and Manten.

"How the hell did she find the next body? Is there even one? Is she lying?"

Why would she?

Inuyasha shook his head and sped down the empty streets until his car was only a couple feet away from the café. Everything was eerily quiet and a sense of foreboding clawed within his mind. He knew he should wait for Sango and the rest to get there, but he had to see. He had to know if Kagome really did find another body.

Inuyasha gulped. God, he hoped this was just a joke.

Unclipping his holster for his gun, he hand rested tensely over it and his senses were working overtime as he listened for even the tiniest noise. The windows of the café were all covered up so nothing could be seen inside. Grabbing his gloves and sliding them on, Inuyasha gave the door a slight pull and fear wrenched in his gut as he found that the door was unlocked. The minute he stepped inside the room the pungent smell of blood filled him and the urge to gag was so strong Inuyasha had to cover his mouth with his hand for a moment and then plug his noise. He tried breathing in with his mouth but it only made it worse since it was like he could _taste_ the blood.

Watching where he walked, he stayed to the far corners of the room and glanced around for the body and the blood. He couldn't see anything and his sense of smell was thrown off by the reeking blood within the room. When he cornered around the room, he was now on the wall where the counter was and his eyes widened as he saw the scene before him.

"Jesus Christ."

* * *

"She knew chief, dammit she knew. She knew what happened to the b-body, she…she knows who it is, where she is… Goddammit chief _say something_!" Sango yelled, tears glinting in her eye though they refused to fall.

"She didn't do it Sango," Inuyasha soothed, holding the officer in his arms gently. Sango was taking this really hard but it was no surprise, the woman inside the café was one of Sango's best friends.

Sango was strong enough to do it and like Kouga she had refused to go home and take office duty for this particular part of the case. She wasn't going to cry but Inuyasha made sure (like he did with Kouga) that Sango wouldn't see the body. It was for the better since what was inside was not the girl Sango knew and it would be better for Sango to remember her best friend like she was and not how she looked now.

It was even hard for Inuyasha.

"How do you know?" Sango asked in barely a whisper, leaning on him slightly. Right now, all she needed was a shoulder to cry on and Inuyasha had been one of her closest friends in Trite.

"Because I was with her."

Sango nodded. "But what about after? How late were you guys?"

Inuyasha didn't answer and looked towards the door of the café.

"Wait…Inuyasha you two didn't-"

Inuyasha looked at her and shook his head quickly. "No, nothing like that happened. We didn't have sex, trust me on that one," he said, muttering the last part more to himself than for Sango. "Miroku and Kagome are coming though and I need to question Kagome on how she found out about this."

Sango gave Inuyasha a meaningful look and Inuyasha shook his head. "She's had people around her the entire time between the times of the killing. Kagome didn't do it."

"Maybe she's apart of it. Maybe she had a connection with the murderer."

Inuyasha didn't want to hear anymore, and he definitely didn't want to even consider it but he nodded his head anyways and walked towards his truck, leaving Sango to start on the list of people to question.

Five minutes later, Kagome and Miroku drove up in her car, parking a little while back. Inuyasha had just been in the middle of talking with Hachi who gave him the small bits of information resulting of the death.

"Inuyasha," Miroku said, nodding towards him and then looking at Sango who was leaning against her truck, hugging herself. Leaving Kagome and Inuyasha alone, Miroku made his way over to Sango, and Inuyasha watched them go before facing the girl in front of him.

"Don't ask me how I know Inuyasha," she said in a low tone. "I can't explain it."

"You're going to have to because even though you have an alibi for that night, that doesn't mean you're not connected."

"If I was why would I tell you? Wouldn't I just leave you to find her yourself and scar the poor owner of the building? No, I don't think I even have the possibility of being connected."

Inuyasha glared at her but let her continue on.

"Let me just say…a little birdie told me, okay?"

"The voices?"

Kagome nodded.

Inuyasha let out a heavy sigh and ran his hands through his silver hair. "Hell this is going to be one great report."

Kagome gave him a rueful smile. "I'm sorry. I know I'm not making your life any easier."

"How much do you know?" Inuyasha asked, wondering how much this 'little birdie' told her.

"A lot."

"Specifics," Inuyasha asked, crossing his arms and waiting.

"The woman dead is Kirara Nekomata, age twenty-eight, blonde hair and green eyes. She works at the café everyday with only Sundays off. The murderer placed her behind the counter on the ground, let her blood soak everything and he chopped her into bits, with an axe. She was murdered at twelve-forty-seven exact and she was killed because of her personality, not because of her hair like Yuri was."

Inuyasha felt shivers run down his spine. "So you got all of this from…them?"

Kagome nodded.

"Shit."

"And another thing," she added. "It's the same killer because in the mess was another shard of my jewel, of the other half and if I can guess…Hachi just gave it to you before I approached and it's in your pocket right now."

Inuyasha swore once more, this time with less conviction.

"This killer is on the line of a serial killer since it takes over three deaths by the same person to be considered one."

"Are forensics done?" Kagome asked. "Because I need to see her."

"Not yet, but soon and why should I let you go?" Inuyasha asked. "The body is gone and the place is clean so why-"

"Because you won't get anything," Kagome said calmly. "I'm your only chance to catch this killer. He leaves nothing and there is a broken but emotional reason for his killing. I can help you, I'm the only one."

Inuyasha stared into her chocolate eyes and knew that she was right. It was a scary thought and Inuyasha knew he would regret the nod he soon gave after.

* * *

Kagome walked into the café several hours later when Inuyasha said she was allowed. The first thing that came to her mind was the image of Kirara all chopped up into bits behind the counter. The voices were becoming loud within her mind but she had to control it, she had to dig deeper.

"_Oh God help me! Don't! I didn't know, I didn't know! Oh Jesus I didn't know!"_

It was Kirara's voice, within her mind, and the scene played out. She went in further, deeper within her mind and felt her reality slowly fading away. Afraid to go in too deep she grabbed Inuyasha's hand, his figure right behind her.

"Don't let go," she murmured and closed her eyes, sacrificing herself to the pool of noises within her. The only problem was, for some reason, Inuyasha was coming too and that never happened before. When she held someone's hands, she was only vaguely aware of their presence and they were only meant to keep her tied to reality, but Inuyasha was sinking in fast and soon nothing could stop them. They were both within the pool of voices and without the hold on reality it became too much, she couldn't pull away and Inuyasha was stuck with her, trying to block out the noise. Kagome and Inuyasha screamed, aware of their bodies being forced to move without their consent and the image of a bloody axe swirling in their minds.

* * *

_**Next Chapter:** Worry- Trite was a small town where nothing ever happened. Ever. So what had changed it? What happened to make this all start? Those last two questions she could only answer with one name._

_**Please Review! I'll also answer any questions you have for this story.**_


	11. Worry

_**Disclaimer: Hmm, do I own Inuyasha? Well, if I did, I promise you I wouldn't be writing this on FanFiction…it would be on TV (duh).**_

**_And I would like to thank EVERYONE for your reviews! I'm already past 100! You guys are the BEST! I love you all!_**

---

_Chapter Ten: Worry_

She couldn't stop it. She couldn't stop the force that was pulling them deeper and deeper, farther and farther into eternity of darkness. An endless void of insanity.

Kagome couldn't let him be stuck here, not Inuyasha. If he could be brought back then they could both be saved but she had to help him. He didn't understand.

He never would.

His hand was cold and clammy in hers as she unconsciously grasped it tighter.

_Let go._

The voices seemed to chant to her, the endless stream of nightmares called out to her, willing to destroy her. The vengeful and hate-filled spirits that refused to move on shrieked.

_Let go. Let go. Let go._

She couldn't let him go. If they separated, they would never be saved.

And that's when she felt Inuyasha start to pull his hand away from hers.

Kagome panicked within her mind, feeling Inuyasha start to draw away from her.

"_Inuyasha!"_ She screamed with everything she had but his fingers still tried to pry loose of her grasp. She had to send him away from this place now; she had to bring him back to reality.

Kagome never thought this would happen but she should've thought of it beforehand. For some reason, she and Inuyasha had a connection and that connection was brought together when she dug deep within her mind, when she tried to open the door for the voices. Now, when she tried to go too deep on purpose, holding his hand as a lifeline so she wouldn't get stuck, the connection was made and they ended up stuck too deep together.

Stupid universe. It only figures that Inuyasha would be her 'one and only' connection. _Sigh._

Kagome focused all of her energy on Inuyasha, thinking of the room they were in and the scene before them in reality. Bracing herself, she "pushed" her energy with everything she had and willed for Inuyasha to resurface. It was definitely an example of mind over matter, so when Inuyasha let go, she used it to her advantage and willed him somewhere where the voices wouldn't speak.

Suddenly, the world around her went dark and Inuyasha's presence was no longer with her. He was back, breathing and alive. She just hoped Inuyasha would be able to save her as her mind gave away and scattered to the endless ways of oblivion.

---

He couldn't stop it. He couldn't control the pull that dragged him down, drowning him of life as his mind blanked and no longer were his moves certain and graceful but now jerky and robotic. He was moving and he was doing nothing to influence it.

Where was he? What was he doing? Vaguely, Inuyasha could feel small warmth in his hand and he heard the rapid heartbeat that seemed to die within the body –or soul- of the woman beside him. Kagome…

_Get away._

A shiver passed through him, one he had never felt before. Whispers that he had never experienced, never heard before crowded within his mind, surrounding him and suffocating him in the unbalance of body and soul. The drifting feeling of being everywhere and yet nowhere gave him a sense of insecurity, a characteristic he had never felt before, and the voices that echoed in his mind seemed to crash like waves.

_Let go. Get away. Now!_

That didn't sound like Kagome but whatever voice was urging him to pull away from her was something Inuyasha had never heard before. His grip on Kagome tightened and Inuyasha was unsure of what to do.

_Let go. Pain and suffering… Get away. Let go._

Was Kagome suffering? Was this hurting her more than it was him? He couldn't see anything and his lips were unable to move. It was like all his senses were on hold and the only thing that he could use was his hearing, and right now the vibrations of the voices made it almost deaf.

_Let go._

The urgency, the desperation in the voices stopped them. The pain and suffering…it was all them but still, should he let go? Was he killing Kagome by keeping her with him? Did Kagome even want him to come here?

_Let go._

Maybe it would be for the best. Slowly, as if his body was stiff from lack of movement, his subconscious started to draw away from Kagome and soon, the voices started to leave him. But then Kagome's hand, that pull that held him to her, kept him near and he struggled against her.

Just then, one voice stood out from the rest and everything within him froze.

_Inuyasha, you can't do this without her._

Wasn't that…?

Reality came crashing back. His senses went haywire as flashes of colour, disgusting tastes, the feel of a cool breeze, and the pungent smell of blood filled him. Inuyasha's eyes shot open and his first reaction was to fling out, attack whatever was near but when he saw the hazy figure of Miroku and Sango hovering over him, Inuyasha just moaned.

"What happened?" he asked groggily and started to look around, rubbing his eyes to rid them of the heavy-sleep feeling. Lights and a blinding white shine confused him and before he could ask, it clicked.

"Where the hell am I?" Inuyasha barked, though he already knew the answer.

"Chief, calm down," Sango said firmly and rested her right hand on his shoulder as if to comfort him. "You're in the hospital."

Inuyasha shook his head and slowly brought his hand up, massaging his temples. "And that's supposed to make me feel better? What happened?"

"I see he's up," a feminine voice said and Inuyasha turned around to the best his ability on the bed to face her.

A woman with the appearance of a young child walked into the small hospital room and made her way to the bed. Silver hair loose at the back, her black demon eyes glinted as they surveyed his body, looking for outward affects. "Inuyasha Taisho, my name is Shiori Bouma and I've been looking after you. Now, if you remain still I want to check some things to see if you may or may not go."

"Mind answering some questions first?" Inuyasha asked sharply. "I hate repeating myself but what the hell happened?"

Shiori looked towards Miroku and Sango who stood beside his bed, her pale pastel lips curved into a frown. "Shall I?" she asked and Sango shook her head.

"I'll do it. Inuyasha, you know that connection thingy you and Kagome have? Well, as Miroku explained it, Kagome needs an anchor sometimes if she purposely goes too deep. She chose you as an anchor but instead of keeping her attached to this…reality, you went with her."

Miroku nodded his head in agreement. "Because of what occurred at the warehouse. You two connected somehow, for some reason, and when she went in so did you. I'm guessing Kagome was already too deep to stop it but somehow she managed to push you out of that place, wherever that place is."

A shiver ran through his body at that moment, the remembrance of the emptiness and fear within him and that voice… It was so familiar…

"Kagome! Where is she?" Inuyasha asked with a hint of fear in his voice. He looked at Sango who kept her eyes lowered and then Miroku, whose facial expression was grim.

"She's…," Miroku paused for a moment, looking to the other half of the room Inuyasha was in, "Kagome's in a comatose state. We don't know how she is."

Whipping his head to the left, Inuyasha saw the outline of a bed with a slight bulge on the top of it, green curtains providing the picture with the help of the sun's rays that made it through the small window. Kagome…?

"Oh hell no," Inuyasha muttered as he looked at the curtains that hid Kagome's body. "She's not…"

"She's still alive Inuyasha," Dr. Bouma said slowly. "Ms. Higurashi is in a comatose state, like your friend said."

Inuyasha gulped. "How long…? Do you know?"

Dr. Bouma shook her head regretfully. "I have Dr. Nogami looking after her at the moment. She's one of the best but there's nothing you can really do. It's up to Ms. Higurashi now if she wants to live."

Inuyasha watched as a pale woman walked in as if on cue and Shiori watched her for a moment before turning her gaze to Inuyasha. "This, sir, is Dr. Nogami."

The pale woman spun around very slowly, her snowy white hair a shocking match to her ghost-like skin and dark black eyes that held oblivion within them. She merely looked at Inuyasha, Sango and Miroku before shifting her gaze to Shiori.

"Are they friends of hers?" the woman asked; her voice so quiet it was barely audible.

Shiori nodded. "Yes."

"Is she…" Miroku's voice ended abruptly as he choked on his words. "Is she…okay? Will she be? She's going to wake up, right?"

The moment he looked at Dr. Nogami, Miroku regretted asking the final question. Whatever happened to Kagome was on a paranormal level, no doctor would understand that.

Dr. Nogami searched Miroku's violet eyes for a moment and a cold shiver ran down his spine, freezing him so that his breath hitched. He wasn't aware that he was holding his breath until she looked away and drew back the curtain just enough for her to squeeze in and just enough to show a pale limp hand resting on the bed, palm upwards towards the ceiling.

---

When Inuyasha was finally allowed to leave the hospital, he put up quite a fight. Kagome's unconscious body still lay limply on the bed and he refused to leave her side. Dr. Nogami refused to let Inuyasha see her and that negation itself was enough for him to tear down the curtains. After much persuasion on Sango's part, they finally got him out of the building, Miroku volunteering to stay in the hospital and call them if anything should happen.

Of course, even as they got out of Inuyasha's black Tahoe, he was grumbling. Slamming the door, Inuyasha's face was set as hard as stone and the look in his eyes were dangerous. Sango didn't know what happened to him, she didn't have a clue what he and Kagome experienced together. Personally, Sango would rather that it stayed that way.

"Sango, I want the recent profile out, as well as reports from whatever I missed. You have three minutes to get it and into my office, now."

Rolling her eyes but picking up the pace, Sango did what she was told, her raven hair swinging side to side while up in the ponytail. Warning Ayame, Kouga and Hiten and Manten who she passed along the way about Inuyasha's mood, Sango finally made it to her office. Grabbing a folder that contained the profile and picking up a bunch of papers that lay scattered on her desk, Sango dashed out of the room and into the chief's office.

Inuyasha sat there with a large scowl on his face, his amber eyes glowing. Throwing him the folder, Sango sat down across from his desk and casually rested her feet on the top of it, twiddling her thumbs.

"The profile hasn't changed much from the original," Sango said slowly, looking at the wall. "Still mostly likely male, around the age of twenty-five to thirty-five and is also probably insane but that's not in the profile."

Inuyasha raised his brow towards Sango who shrugged. "I can't exactly be wrong now, can I chief? The way he perfectly sliced up Yuri? The way he chopped up…Kirara like- like w-w-wood…"

Again, Inuyasha smelt a mix of salt and water as Sango blinked rapidly, trying to brush away her tears.

"What's he going to do next chief? Tell me because pretty soon the entire town is going to know what happened. Yuri was murdered in a field near the outskirts of town; Kirara was murdered in a local café. Once Kirara's story is out, Yuri's will be tagging right behind."

Inuyasha growled. He knew that, and knew that all too well. Instead of agreeing and having to face the fact that he needed to go out to the public, he changed the subject. "So this guy is killing women because of…what? There's not even a suggestion here."

"That's because Yuri and Kirara are completely different in looks and personality. Yuri's a hairdresser and Kirara's a waitress. Yuri lived in the outskirts of town, Kirara in the heart of it. They probably knew about each other but I doubt they ever spoke."

Sighing and glancing at the clock that showed the time of eight p.m., Inuyasha stretched and yawned. "We're getting nowhere fast," Inuyasha grumbled. "Let's continue this in the morning."

"Right chief," Sango said automatically and stood up, looking at Inuyasha for a moment before shaking her head. "Try and get some sleep tonight, will you?"

"When there are two murdered girls and a woman in the hospital? Not likely Sango but…thanks. I guess."

The sudden vulnerability that surrounded Inuyasha was thick and Sango didn't know what to do. He was never like this and she was unsure whether to laugh or hold him. Trite was a small town where nothing ever happened.

Ever.

So what had changed it? What happened to make this all start?

Those last two questions she could only answer with one name.

---

It was nine-thirty in the morning when Sango called.

"_Chief, the background on Kirara is complete. Basically there is nothing there that we didn't already know. I have two people to talk to: Mrs. Nekomata and Shippo Watanabe. Other than her mother, she has no family and with the rumours about her, Shippo and Nazuna…"_

"I know. Not much is kept secret in this town."

"_Do you think it would be worthwhile to investigate Nazuna?"_

"No," Inuyasha said in the phone, shaking his head. "Let's leave Ms. Orikasa until after we talk to Shippo. Let's make sure that this isn't just juicy 'for the hell of it' gossip."

"_Understood. Meet you at the station,"_ Sango said and then after short goodbyes, Inuyasha ended the call.

"This is going to be one hell of a day," he muttered and sighed. Kagome was still in the hospital. She still hadn't woken up.

Miroku had been there all night. And for some reason, Dr. Nogami would let any of them remotely near her. Miroku was so furious about it but had been too tired last night to start something. This morning though, it would be raining fire and brimstone.

He got to the station five minutes later and braced himself before he got out of the truck, closing his eyes. This would be his only moment of peace…

"Inuyasha, what the hell is going on?"

Jumping up in surprise, Inuyasha shot open his eyes and looked outside his car window, only to see Totosai Yanami, the so-called 'mayor' of Trite. Sometimes people got the impression that the chief or sheriff ran the town they were in charge of.

In all honestly, he wished. It would've made the job a lot more fun.

And more stressful…

"You better get out here now or I swear on your father's grave…"

"You better not swear anything on my old man's grave, you old coot. What are you rambling about anyways?" Inuyasha already knew what Totosai was talking about but he wanted to hear it from the mayor's mouth, to see how much he knew. Sometimes, it was better to keep your mouth shut.

Totosai stroked his long salt and pepper beard and his large eyes widened in thought. He looked every day of his age and the hunched up frame of his body did nothing to change that. "Kirara has been murdered. How much do you know?"

"Not much," Inuyasha admitted. "I was just going to do that now."

"Can I tag along?"

"No," Inuyasha answered firmly and got out of the truck, locking the Tahoe before making his way towards the building.

"You imbecile, this is no time to…"

Yep, sometimes it was better to just keep your mouth shut.

---

Sango held the keys to her truck in hand, the jingling sound irritating to her ears. She watched Inuyasha with mild annoyance and curiosity, wondering what he was doing.

"You found no clues at the crime scene right?" Inuyasha asked Sango in a rush.

"Right…" Sango said slowly, not sure where he was going with this. "Forensics checked the place out with a fine tooth comb. They found nothing."

"What about an axe?"

Caught off guard, Sango made a few incomprehensible sounds before answering properly. "Axe? You mean the murder weapon?"

"That's the one," Inuyasha said impatiently, looking through a pile of papers related to Kirara's murder. "That's what I saw. When that…thing with Kagome and I happened…that's what we saw. Or, what I saw anyways. The murder weapon, covered in blood. In a closet of some sort."

Sango frowned and shook her head. "Nothing like that was found. So, you believe it? You believe her?"

For a minute, Inuyasha stopped dead in his track, unmoving. The only sound to be heard was the uneven sound of his breath as his amber eyes reflected emotions behind his long silvery bangs. "I…don't know. It's crazy I know. How could someone do that? You know, to have that ability to dig so deep in the subconscious…to hear things and know things no one else can. It's more than that…" He took a deep break and shook his head, a bitter smirk on his face. "It's scary."

Sango's voice softened as she looked at her best friend, wondering what he was going through at that moment. "You really believe she didn't do it, do you? You're not following the proper procedure of a suspect for her…you're not investigating her at all."

"She didn't do it," Inuyasha said, his voice firm. "And, this is too serious. We needed more resources, and Kagome could be that extra help. She said we can't do this without her. That I believe. So right now, I need to find this weapon."

"And I need to do some interrogations," Sango said with a sigh. She was about to leave when she turned around once more. "She's going to be alright chief I know it."

---

_I want to kill her._

_I have to kill her._

_But she's out of my reach._

_Not yet…not yet…_

_Just one more to go and then it is checkmate._

_Think carefully now because soon it'll be all over._

_---_

_Wake up._

Kagome felt her body jerk and something cool was put on her forehead.

_Now, you have to save him,_ her imaginary friend urged.

"Kagome, stop what are you doing!" a scream resonated through her mind, echoing. Miroku… The coldness was removed and suddenly a chill went through the air, a gasp was heard and then the sounds of gaping breath.

_Wake up, Kagome. He's going to die._

_---_

**_Sorry guys, for some reason the divider line wasn't working. I'll just make-do with this for now!_**

_**Next Chapter: **Chance- "I did it," she whispered. "I killed Kirara."_

_**Please Review!**_


	12. Chance

_**Wow, everyone had the same reaction to the last chapter. You guys are awesome, thanks so much for your reviews!**_

**_PS. Some people wanted to know about my late update. Reason: cottage plus camp equals: no internet for two weeks. Sucks doesn't it?_**

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha. **_

---

_Chapter Eleven: Chance_

Nothing was going the way it should be.

"Dammit chief," Sango muttered as stormed to the front double doors of a large house made of beige brick. A beautiful stone porch and walkway led Sango towards her destination and fully bloomed flowers of all sorts surrounded the narrow walk.

Sango ignored all of this.

Finally at the door, Sango stopped herself and took a deep breath, her fists clenching and unclenching as she tried to calm both her body and mind down. She needed to stop this and stop it all right now.

"It's not his fault," Sango whispered to herself. "It's not my fault. It's not anyone's fault but the one that killed her. I'm sorry Kirara…I'm so, so sorry."

Tears threatened to spill but Sango forced herself to regain her composure. Speaking to Naomi Nekomata, Kirara's mother was one of the most difficult things Sango had ever done in her life. Sango had known Kirara since birth practically and though their jobs and lives kept them at a distance some days, they never changed. They were best friends forever.

Even after death.

Since Sango's own mother died shortly after her birth, the closest thing Sango ever had to a mother was Naomi… And now that Kirara was gone, how would things be? Sango had a difficult time choosing whether to be professional when asking Naomi questions or casual.

At least, as casual as you can get when you're talking about your best friend's death to her mother.

Getting through that hour seemed more like an eternity and Sango wasn't sure of whether she was relieved or distraught when she walked out the door back into her truck to visit Shippo Watanabe, Kirara's…friend.

Taking a deep breath and steeling herself for the worst, Sango knocked on the large wooden door and waited impatiently as the sound of footsteps on the other side grew louder. The door opened a crack and orange hair spilled out, along with the appearance of one emerald green eye.

"What do you want?"

"Mr. Watanabe, it's me, Sango. Can I come in?"

"I don't want to talk about her."

"Shippo…"

"I'm sorry Sango, but there's nothing I can tell you."

"There's a lot you can tell me," Sango murmured, taking a step towards the door. "I'm sorry for what happened to Kirara…I know it's hard. I'm suffering too."

"Then why aren't you at home drinking a bottle of scotch?"

Sango's eyes steeled and her jaw clenched with anger. "Because Shippo, it's my duty. I'm not going to sit on my ass all week drinking and sleeping, hoping to get rid of the pain. Kirara was my best friend, you and I know that. You and I also know that doing absolutely nothing to catch this murderer before it's too late is not what Kirara would want. So I'm doing the smart thing. I'm doing exactly what she'd want me to do."

"You think you're going to get him?"

"I don't think Shippo. Years of knowing me proved that. I don't think, I know."

Nodding, the door opened and Shippo's figure appeared. Shoulder length orange hair was kept up in a high ponytail and startling green eyes focused on her with intensity. His casual yellow t-shirt with a baggy pair of jeans would make anyone think he was having an ordinary day…until you noticed that his shirt was inside out and his jeans were cut up and ripped.

"Hurry up then," he muttered and turned away, walking down an open hallway into what looked like a small kitchen.

Sango scrambled in and shut the door quietly behind her, throwing off her shoes and following the young boy. Shippo was only around the age of twenty-nine, three years younger than her. He worked as a mechanic in the heart of Trite and was well known and polite to everyone. He was also a fox demon and his sparkling white fangs glistened as he smiled humourless at the calendar that hung on the fridge.

"It's Sunday," Shippo said absently, not looking at Sango. "Kirara loved Sundays, you know? It was her only day off…the only time I could see her."

"Did you…do you love her?" Sango asked quietly, noting the strange tone in his voice.

For some time, Shippo never answered, just merely stared and did nothing. At last he turned to her, his emerald eyes sharp but his smirk wavering. "I…don't know. I screwed up Sango; I really screwed up with her."

"You mean about what happened at the party last weekend?" One of the guys in Trite held an annual party, inviting everyone and anyone to come. Drinks, dancing, food, music…it was the perfect party and the talk of the town two months before _and_ after it happened.

Shippo nodded. "Did you know I never got drunk before in my life? Never, not once did I get hung-over or a little too happy."

"Until the party," Sango stated, knowing full well where he was going with this.

"Until the party," he agreed. "Kirara was drunk too. It's funny how in all the stories, all the movies and all the news that people's lives forever change in one instant. Well, it happened. We got drunk, we got a room and we made love. If you can even call it that," Shippo said, his tone disgusted. He seemed angry but the feeling seemed to be self-inflicted.

"She was always my friend," he continued, "nothing more, nothing less. I had just broken up with Nazuna that morning and then…that. What's worse is that gossip in Trite spreads like wildfire and once that occurs and grows, it's never like how it was originally. The flames are bigger, higher and hotter. Just like the lies."

Sango nodded. "Shippo…where were you last night? What were you doing?"

He looked vaguely surprised at the question but then his face turned grave. "I was here, alone. Ironically, I was watching Cops."

"When did you go to bed?" Sango asked, her mind already screaming that Shippo was not the killer.

"After the show, around eleven-thirty, I guess."

"Did you go to the café?"

"Of course I did Sango. It's my routine. I always get my finally coffee for the day there, made by Kirara. She…she told me to be careful. I don't know why since there was nothing dangerous on the road but… She told me all the same. I c-can't believe s-s-she's _dead_."

And it was then that the first tear rolled down Shippo's cheek.

---

Tsubaki Mizuka was having one hell of a day.

"She's dead! Jesus Tsubaki, _she's dead!_"

"Nazuna…calm down honey. Come on, get back in the car."

Nazuna whipped around, her right hand gripping the handle on the car door as if it were her final lifeline and her left hand covering her mouth. Brown eyes flashed harshly and the dead look she gave Tsubaki was one her friend knew all too well. She was going to flip. Her body visibly trembled and her knuckles on her right hand were ghost white. The colour in her face seemed to drain away like sand in an hourglass and the few whimpers that were let out sounded both regretful and painful.

"I killed her," Nazuna whispered, her mouth opening and closing, unsure of what to do. "I wished her dead, I wanted her dead…and now…she's dead. Gone. Finished. Goodbye and goodnight, oh hell Tsubaki, Kirara is _dead_."

Undoing her belt buckle and jumping out of the driver's side door, Tsubaki ran to her friend on the other side who was now sitting down on the gravel road. They had just come back from visiting some friends when they passed the café. Everything and everyone was there, forensics, police… It wasn't hard to see what had happened.

And it wasn't hard to hear what had happened either.

Kirara Nekomata was murdered.

"It's all my fault, it's all because of me," Nazuna sobbed and the second she realized Tsubaki was beside her, she threw her body onto her, gripping the girl's jeans tightly and rubbing her face to it. "My entire fault…it's all my fault."

Tsubaki looked down at her friend, her face saddened and pitiful. She knew Nazuna didn't kill her. Nazuna didn't have the ability, the power. So slowly, Tsubaki crouched down to the gravel road and sat down cross-legged, waiting patiently as Nazuna crawled in her lap.

"Hush Nazuna, it's all going to be okay. You didn't do it, you didn't kill Kirara."

---

Kagome woke up with a gasp. Her body was drenched, sweat poured down her face like buckets and her wild brown eyes were barely there, completely taken over by black pupils. Her mouth was opened wide, gasping for air as if the room held none and her face was so pale it looked like she covered herself in chalk.

Her breaths came in quick, in and out, in and out. She didn't stop and even though her throat was parched she kept gasping for air through her mouth. Hyperventilating, Kagome couldn't make out the mix of emotions that ran through her. Then she heard the voice of her imaginary friend, the calm eeriness of the voice of the dead.

_He's going to die. Hurry Kagome, time's running out._

He… Inuyasha? Die?

What a laugh.

That bastard was going to outlive them all.

_He's looking for it Kagome. He's looking._

He's looking for…the axe?

_You have to get him Kagome. _

**_Get up_.**

As if she had been slapped, her entire body jolted and a rush of energy surged through her. Before she knew it Kagome was off her bed, the light tie-up nightgown her only coverage.

"Kagome, you're awake!" Miroku yelled, appearing through the doorway with a coffee in hand. The coffee was soon forgotten though when he placed it on a table and ran towards his friend, hugging her tightly.

Kagome struggled out of his grip. "Miroku…Inuyasha's going to die. We have to get him. Come on!"

"What? Kagome, are you sure? I mean you just woke up…"

"My imaginary friend told me. Let's go Miroku, don't look at me like that!"

"Your imaginary friend…?"

Kagome growled in frustration and shook her head, realizing she was getting no where fast as the time ticked in her head. Inuyasha didn't have long to live.

"I'll explain in the car. Let's _go_."

Miroku looked reluctant, glancing at the bed before looking back towards her. "Your clothes are in your car. You go; I'll stay here and deal with everything else. Good luck."

"Are- are you sure Miroku?" Kagome asked. "I mean, I'll need help."

"But I rather not make any more ruckus then we already have. I'll deal with this stuff, you go warn Inuyasha. Now go before I change my mind."

Kagome smiled gently and looked towards the ground. Bags circled under Miroku's eyes and his hair was messy, not in its normal neat ponytail. It was then she realized she didn't even know what time of day it was…or what day it was for that matter. But she would learn that soon enough, for now, Inuyasha was more important.

Without hesitation, Kagome ran at Miroku and tackled him in a hug, squeezing him tight as he wrapped his arms around her. "Thanks Miroku, for everything. You've always been there for me."

"That's what big brothers do," he said with a smile as he let Kagome go. "We take care of our sisters that always get in way over their heads."

Kagome frowned, punched Miroku in the shoulder lightly and then dashed off.

Miroku did nothing but what her leave; a smile on his face with his left arm rubbing the other from where she punched him.

---

As the sun's light drained away, Inuyasha cursed at his stupidity.

How the hell was he going to find a bloody axe in the middle of the night?

Thankful for his good eyesight, he stepped out of his Tahoe and slammed the door, not daring to take another step as he gazed upon the café. The aftershock of Kirara's death started to sink in. He couldn't believe it, the reality that she was dead, murdered…by someone in his very own town.

"Shit," he cursed under his breath and shook his head. Walking to the door of the café, he gave an acknowledging nod to his two guards and walked in. The first thing that hit him was the blood. The pungent smell hit him and he coughed uncontrollably. No longer did it hold the smell of coffee and bread but now a strong metallic reminder. Inuyasha attempted to breathe through his mouth but readily dismissed the idea when he could taste it.

This bastard would pay.

Wanting to get out quickly, Inuyasha ran behind the counter and yanked open the closet door, searching thoroughly before closing it and moving on. Half and hour later, Inuyasha walked back to the center of the café, frustrated and angry.

Maybe Kagome was wrong. Maybe she really was the killer…

He couldn't forget the fact that she found two dead bodies before anyone without a solid alibi. And she had led them to Yuri's hideout…

But then, what happened when they got there? When they connected? What about today in the café? He couldn't easily forget that either…

A shout startled him from his thoughts and he whipped his head around towards the doorway. The sounds of his two guards Hiten and Manten were easy to point out but then there was a third. A high-pitched scream echoed throughout the room and without hesitating he ran outside, only to see his men pushing a woman with black hair to the ground.

"Kagome?"

"Get off me! I have to tell him, I did it! I did it!"

Nope, definitely not Kagome.

"I did it, I did it…" she went on and on, repeating the words over and over again like a mantra.

"Let he go," Inuyasha said quietly, giving both Hiten and Manten a short glance.

Doing as they were told, the two watched as she brought herself from the ground to look at Inuyasha. She walked up to him slowly, determined yet fearful as she approached.

"I did it," she whispered. "I killed Kirara."

It was then that Inuyasha recognized her. It was Nazuna Orikasa, Shippo's ex girlfriend. Gossip within Trite probably exaggerated the tales of what happened between the two but from what he heard Shippo cheated on her.

And then again, Shippo told him himself that he had broken up with her that morning and then when that major party was thrown he got a bit tipsy. In other words, it was a mistake.

That gave Nazuna a motive, but would she be strong enough to kill Kirara?

God he hoped not, she was still so young. And she didn't even come close to matching the profile.

"_I killed Kirara_!" Nazuna screamed, tears streaming down her face as she wiped them away furiously. "I wished for her to be dead and now…she's gone."

Inuyasha didn't know what to make out about the girl but he didn't have time when all of a sudden she leapt at him, her two fragile hands gripping his t-shirt like a lifeline.

"Okay Nazuna, come on. Let's get into my truck and we'll take you to the station. Is that okay?" He tried to sound calm and soothing but when the words came out, they probably sounded like the exact opposite. Wrapping a supportive arm around her shoulder, Inuyasha literally dragged Nazuna to his truck. He opened the door that led to the back seat and helped Nazuna in. She was still crying and looked like an emotional wreck.

He didn't really blame her though he had a hard time believing she did it.

And then, something didn't feel right.

A sound from behind him made him spin around but he could hear nothing but the whisper of the wind on the summer's cool night. The sky grew dark and shadows danced within the alleyways, around trees and lurked at every corner. For reasons he couldn't explain his senses were on the very edge, tensed and at the ready. He shut Nazuna's door and then turned around, eyeing his surroundings.

From the right, he saw headlights of a car, approaching way too fast. The speeding car was in a direct path for him and Inuyasha stared wide eyed as he saw the driver.

"What the hell Kagome?" he yelled but no one heard as he jumped out of the way and rolled into a ditch. It was then that he heard a gunshot and the loud crackling of breaking glass.

Three more gun shots ensued and Inuyasha instinctively pulled out his gun, thumbing off the safety and looking alert. Scuffs on the pavement caught his attention and soon, Inuyasha was running down an alleyway, looking and listening for the intruder.

Nothing but the slight breeze could be heard and Inuyasha knew without a doubt that he lost him. He smelt the air and growled frustrated. The scent was barely there, fairly weak and in all honesty quite bland. If only it had been stronger he could've been able to figure out who it was. The alley was complete empty with only a small armour in the dump that was meant for garbage.

Was it the murderer? Why would he risk attacking in the day? Did he leave something behind? Was there a copycat?

Putting the safety back on, now completely positive the danger was gone, Inuyasha walked to the nearest wall and punched it, causing his knuckles to bleed and his anger to dissipate.

"I was so close," he yelled, bothered by the fact that a chance to help them came up and he failed to get it. "And to think that would've been shot through me if Kagome… Shit, Kagome!"

"Don't worry about little old me," Kagome distant voice sounded. "I'll get up eventually."

Inuyasha rushed out of the alley and to the main street where Kagome's car sat. It was half up on the curb and only a couple inches away from a small clothing store's window. As he approached he noticed Kagome wasn't in her car and his head whipped around to look for her. He cocked his ears and smelt the air only to come to the front of the café and see her with Hiten and Manten. She was lying on the pavement, despite the two's protests and every time they tried to touch her she shied away.

"I'm okay, really," she insisted and when Inuyasha approached she proved her point by jumping up and running to him.

It was then she realized she was trying very hard to resist the urge to leap on him and hug him to the death. It had really scared her when she heard the shot and she vaguely wondered what would've happened if she hadn't come. Shaking her head, she ridded the thought. Still the want to make sure he was okay was something fierce and Kagome told herself repeated to stop. Nothing had happened after their "date" last night other than some casual making out on her front porch. Then Kirara's death came up and all that just got pushed back.

It was then that Kagome realized his knuckles were bleeding.

It was then that Inuyasha realized exactly where the axe was.

---

_**Next Chapter: **Darkness- "It's so dark…just like back then. I don't want to die, I don't want to starve. Let me out, **let me out**!"_

_**Please Review!**_


	13. Darkness

**_Alright guys, here is the deal. I screwed up. Big time. I got confused with the chapters because I had a prologue in the beginning so that mixed up the order so chapter thirteen should REALLY be chapter twelve...get it? Anyhoo, I must've either deleted this chapter on my computer thinking I had already posted it or whatever. SO... This is the REAL chapter twelve and chapter thirteen -Rage- will be reposted. Maybe that will explain the slight gap. _**

**_Sorry about that... hehe._**

**_Disclaimer: Nada._**

- - -

_Chapter Twelve: Darkness_

_- - -_

"I call this meeting to order," Miroku said firmly, smacking the long table with the flat of his palm.

Everyone looked at him questioningly.

Kagome raised an eyebrow at him, confusion clear in her features. "Actually Miroku, Inuyasha did."

"Oh, I know," he said indifferent, "I've just always wanted to say that."

Sango shook her head. "Come on Miroku, this is serious, especially if word gets out about us letting you two in on this."

Inuyasha nodded gravely. "I don't doubt the town already suspects you. It would probably be better if you always stayed together or had one of us with you because think about it: murders just randomly starting the minute two newcomers move in to a once peaceful town?"

Kagome agreed. "So we'll do that. First though, Inuyasha I think you need to call in some reporters and answer some questions. So far your people have been left in the dark about all this and they should be aware. Not only that but you need to set a curfew or something."

Sango turned away from Kagome and stared at Inuyasha also. "Plus, you should talk to Totosai. I don't doubt he'll soon appear in your bedroom one morning demanding answers. Remember last time?"

Inuyasha shuddered. Once there had been a thief going around and taking everyone's stuff. At first it was just jewellery, but it soon elevated to TVs, credit cards and items of value. Inuyasha hadn't told the mayor anything and one morning had found Totosai beside his bed, staring at him expectantly. Afterwards, Inuyasha bought double locks and always double checked his system before going to bed.

Miroku just shook his head, not understanding what Sango meant but ignoring it. "Sango has a valid point Inuyasha."

Inuyasha cursed. "Could I just hire you two as interrogators? I swear you'd do a good enough job."

Kagome laughed at that. "I could only imagine."

"Anyways," Inuyasha said, "down to business. Each of you has an estimated profile on our killer. Male, around the age of twenty-five to forty and he probably lives in Trite as much as I hate to admit. Now," Inuyasha stood up and walked to a board that was covered over with a cloth, "these are pictures and notes from Yuri and Kirara's deaths. You also have a booklet with notes about it."

"Did you get anything from forensics?" Kagome asked and Inuyasha shook his head.

"Not a thing. Whoever is killing these people is good and knows what they're doing. No fingerprints, trace…nothing."

Miroku looked up. "Have the suspects all been checked out with secure alibis?"

"Already taken care of," Sango confirmed. "It's almost like a cold trail. We have nothing to go on or work with unless another body shows up, and that's just horrible. We need more information, anything that can clue us in to why they're doing this."

Kagome felt a knot in her stomach, thinking about her stories. None of them knew and she didn't even think Miroku made the connection just yet. Quickly, she changed the subject. "What about the man that tried to kill Inuyasha? Could he be the murderer?"

"It's always possible but not for sure. It would add to the profile though," Inuyasha nodded.

"Why do you trust us with this?" Kagome asked abruptly. "I mean, you said it before, we're newcomers. Why us?"

Inuyasha looked at Kagome for a moment and then sat back down, clearing his throat and pushing his papers aside. "Because you were right Kagome," he murmured. "You were right about everything. You found the two bodies, you showed us clues that we would either never or eventually have found and you showed me how to find the axe. We may have found the axe sooner or later but the armour in the back of that alley on the other side of the street wouldn't have been searched for a while. We may get prints off of that axe and the blood on it was definitely Kirara's because I could smell it. The deputies here are used to this stuff. They learn to shoot a gun with all the likelihood that they will never even take it out, never mind shoot it."

"That still doesn't answer my question Inuyasha," Kagome said quietly. "For all you know I could be the killer and that how I know everything. Maybe I'm schizophrenic and that explains the voices I hear. You don't know Inuyasha, you _don't know_." She was playing the Devil's advocate, she knew but she had to take the chance. Kagome braced herself to be yelled at, kicked out, or done something to. Instead, Inuyasha reached across the table with his hand and held it open, waiting for hers.

"Then show me Kagome."

"W-what do you mean?" Kagome asked fearful. "I don't understand."

"Show me you're not the killer."

"I don't have an alibi Inuyasha," Kagome said slowly, still not getting it. "And I can't show you."

"Let me listen and be the judge," he said quietly. "Let me hear."

Kagome jolted and sat there frozen, fear written across her face. Beside her, Sango and Miroku stood quiet, not daring to interfere. She didn't know what to do. He…he wanted to go with her, into the abyss. He wanted to hear the voices. Did he think this was some sort of game? Kagome's anger flared and she glared at him. "Are you stupid? Is this some kind of ride to you where you think it's a thrill? Like some drug that makes you high and you get that experience that brings you away from reality? It's not Inuyasha! You have no clue! I would trade anything to be normal, anything. Do you think I like these voices? Do you think I like walking around or stepping into an old building only to hear the angry cries of the dead? Well I don't!"

Kagome didn't know how much she could take. Sango and Miroku remained quiet and Inuyasha just watched her, his hand still held out. His face was expressionless and that made her all the angrier. Standing up, Kagome slapped his hand away and started to walk out. The voices within her mind started to grow loud and her anger only fuelled the matter. The screams and cries roared in he eyes but she ignored it all. She didn't wish for it to go away, or die down.

And then she felt warm hand grab hers and suddenly her world went black.

The roaring in her ears deafened her and it wasn't until she literally saw Inuyasha within her mind that she started to struggle. 'I should be here. I didn't will it. I didn't push myself. Why am I here? Why is _he_ here?'

As if it were a second reality she ran up to him. "What the hell are you doing here?" Kagome demanded, staring him down. Darkness surrounded them and the voices didn't cease. She didn't know if he had heard her until he answered back.

Just not in the way she expected.

"Did you bring us here?"

Kagome was taken aback but then shook her head. "No, I don't like going here for your information. See this darkness? We can get lost in it, forever, especially if we stay here too long. The longer we're here, the more vulnerable we are because without life our body slowly start to disappear and another soul can fight us."

He looked at her curiously, waiting for her to go on.

"If we lose, the other soul takes over our living body and our mind drifts forever in this God forsaken abyss." Her harsh words were sharp and Inuyasha stared at her for a moment longer before turning away, looking at the darkness that engulfed him. The only thing that held light seemed to be his body and Kagome's.

"I wonder…" he mused out loud and Kagome was about to question him fearfully when he closed his eyes and wished.

All of a sudden, flashes and memories rushed within his mind and he saw pictures rolling, dancing around like a never ending movie. It was Kagome. Remembrances of childhood, school, friends, heartbreak and love surrounded him and he realized that he was going through Kagome's memories.

And then it all stopped.

Darkness surrounded him once more but this time, Kagome was gone. He felt alone and her presence wasn't even there. All he could hear were voices that crushed him and suddenly he felt the gripping fear that made him want to run. Run away and find Kagome. To find Kagome and save her from this nightmare. How did she live with this? What caused her to have this pain and fear?

Out of the inky blackness, a burst of light shot through and suddenly a door appeared. The darkness slowly vanished and instead transformed into a long winding hall. He was confused but most of all curious. He knew he was someone buried in Kagome's mind, in a void where the voices haunt her, but where did this door come from? Where did it lead? He walked down the hall slowly, studied his surroundings and finally when he approached the door, noticed that on the other side of the door lay a dark room because no light emitted from crack at the bottom of the door. He tentatively reached for the door handle.

"What do you think you're doing?"

Inuyasha jumped and looked around, only to see Kagome right behind him. He looked around her, wondering just how in the seven Hells she got there but where she snapped her fingers, he returned his attention back to her.

"Looking for a way out," Inuyasha answered quickly, meeting her fierce eyes.

"That's not the way out," Kagome said bluntly. "Whoever wills to be here has to will to get out. That's how it works. Here, grab my hand. I don't even know how we really got here in the first place."

Slowly, Kagome closed her eyes and felt Inuyasha's warm hand in her own. She imagined the room where their bodies lay and pictured the reality in which they lived it. When Kagome opened her eyes, it was only then that she realized it wasn't working.

"Are we there yet?" Inuyasha asked, opening one eye. When he saw the terrified look on Kagome's face though he immediately shut up and looked around. The door was still there, looming behind him but the hall seemed to dissipate around them. Kagome's hand slipped out and it wasn't until the last minute that Inuyasha noticed that she was falling to her knees.

He caught her quickly. "Kagome, what the hell is going on?"

"It's not working...Inuyasha, it's not working! I can't get us back!"

It was now Inuyasha's time to turn scared. "What do you mean, you can't get us back. Of course you can, you have to! Maybe you're not focusing enough?"

"Right," Kagome said shakily. "Right, that's right…"

She's tried again, focusing all her power on the real world but when it didn't come, she felt helpless and insecure. They were never going to get out. Never.

- - -

Ami Dai looked around her apartment, staring at the blank walls that surrounded her, suffocated her. The place was small; a kitchenette that was part of the living room with a television and then her bedroom, the only place with a door other than the bathroom.

Ever since she heard about the deaths of Yuri and Kirara, Ami had sat in her room, thinking and wondering. She hadn't been close to either of the girls; the occasional serving from Kirara and the odd acknowledging wave from Yuri but that was about as far as it went.

And now they were dead…

Ami had always been a big fan of murder mystery shows and loved watching the bad guys always getting caught, regardless of the short amount of time and the way some things just magically showed up. The good guys always won, always.

So this wouldn't be any different.

Ami sighed to herself as she stood up from her bed, walking slowly and stiffly to the bathroom to splash some water on her face. A jolt would at least assure her that she was still alive.

The bathroom was small and cramped, barely big enough to fit more than two people at a time. There was a bathtub that had a shower head attached to the wall, a toilet and a sink with a large mirror hanging over that entire top part of the wall. The mirror seemed to be the only good part of the place, since it was big enough to see anything and everything.

Now, as she entered the bathroom, she wished the mirror was gone because when she caught her gaze in it, she wanted to look away. Her brown perfectly straight hair looked limp and the broken ends made it look so much worse. Her face was abnormally pale and her brown deep chocolate eyes that held wisdom much older than her years looked tired. She was a mess.

The cold water felt good when it touched her face and she waited for it to drip dry before looking in the mirror again, thinking about the murders.

She closed her eyes and listened intently to the silence that surrounded her and roared in her ears. Suddenly, Ami was very sure of one certainty. The thought sent a shiver down her spine but she knew it was true.

Another was going to die. Not now but soon.

_Another must die_…

- - -

"It's not working," she whispered. "We're stuck here. We're going to fade away…here. I- I don't want to go…" Kagome started to shake and it took everything Inuyasha had to calm her down. He tried soothing her and holding her but when that didn't work, he decided to lift her up bridal style and start trying to find a way out.

"It's so dark…just like back then. I don't want to die, I don't want to starve. Let me out, _let me out!_" Kagome screamed, burying her face in his chest, her hands grasping his shirt tightly.

Kagome was starting to lose it, Inuyasha thought and when he turned to see the only door that was available to him he realized that he would have to find another way. The minute he turned around he felt the heat and power and the minute his eyes landed on the wooden door he saw the red and orange flames licking it up.

"I need to get her out of here," Inuyasha said to himself, looking around. "I need to go back, I need to get back." He ran around but nothing seemed to change. The same endless black surrounded him and soon he became desperate. It was then the realization sunk it. He was trapped in Kagome's mind, her inner ability, forever.

They were going to die.

"It's so dark…so, so dark. He's going to leave me, forget me… I don't want to die. Momma…Momma where are you?"

He looked down to Kagome, who had now calmed down enough to just whimper though the tears still fell and stained her cheeks. His fear intensified and as he searched around the area that was like a virtual reality he started to lose it himself.

'I need to get back, now. I want to go back. I want to go back _now!_' Inuyasha thought frenziedly and it was then that it happened.

Reality came back in a rush, the senses overpowering and the deafening roar starting to fade away. Kagome felt a slight heaviness on her and opened her eyes to look around. She was on a couch, a warm blanket on top of her with Inuyasha on a separate couch parallel to hers and in between stood a very angry Sango and Miroku.

"I swear to you chief, the next time you do that I'm just going to let you fall to the ground instead of catch you," Sango threatened and eyed Kagome wearily. "Are you okay?"

Kagome nodded. "I'm fine, just…confused. Inuyasha, what did you do?"

She looked to his couch to see that he was already sitting up with the blanket thrown off of him. He looked hesitant to speak but then shrugged. "I touched your hand and wanted to find out the truth. I heard the voices, I was…in your mind, I guess. And then, I wanted out. I woke up."

Kagome stared at him for a while, her jaw clenched and her fists curling and uncurling. "So, you can influence my mind in more ways than one," Kagome murmured callously, taking her gaze off of him and to the floor. "That connection we have… If we connect in any way, you can control the voices and where we go. I guess that means you can go in deep too, which also explains what happened at the café."

Inuyasha shrugged again, not really sure of it himself. Her words came out so cruel that they stung and he didn't know what to say. "Sorry" wouldn't change anything and she sure as hell wouldn't listen to him even if he did say it.

And then there was what he saw…her memories.

As if she read his mind, she looked up at him. "You saw my past didn't you. My childhood… I saw yours. And then there was the door. Why the hell did you try to go in there?"

Inuyasha was taken aback but answered. "I thought it was a way out…I thought-"

"But you didn't really know, did you? You didn't wait for me, care for me! Inuyasha, what's behind that door is what made me who I am today. Everyone has a tragedy, family issues, childhood issues… No one has the perfect life. And now that you seem to be able to control my mind just by touching me and subconsciously reaching out, I suggest you never open it. Ever."

"Why?" Inuyasha asked, looking at her curiously. He knew he was pushing her but he had to know. "The minute you started screaming about dying, about being in the dark it burst into flames. What's so terrible that it caused such a thing to happen? Is that what made you psychic?"

Kagome glared at Inuyasha hard. She couldn't speak and she had nothing more to say to him. She wasn't about to spill her life story and she sure as hell was going to do it here. Kagome vowed to never tell anyone. The only person that knew was Miroku and that was because he took part in it. "It doesn't matter," Kagome said harshly, looking towards the floor.

"But I think it does," Inuyasha challenged. "Kagome we need you and your abilities but if you won't do it then how are we going to stop this murderer? I'm not going to go in your mind and force it but you need to. You have to for these girls. You have to do it Kagome because I promised them I would and I can't, not without hurting you."

"Thanks," Kagome said bitterly. "It's nice to know you care."

And with that, she walked out, leaving the other three in stunned silence.

- - -

Nazuna Orikasa left the station when the night was settling in. Officer Nobutoshi drove her home, his company quiet. Her house was not far from the station and you had to pass the café in order to get there. It was difficult for her, to watch as they passed the café doors and not do anything but pray for Kirara's soul to rest in peace.

But she was murdered and how would that help her rest? Would her spirit even try? Hell, was there even an afterlife?

Nazuna looked out the window, toying with a long strand of black hair. She still couldn't believe she had literally jumped into the arms of Inuyasha, telling him that she was the killer. She wasn't.

Something in her mind though, some echo of knowledge kept telling her that she knew… Did she know who the killer was? She most certainly had no suspicions and wasn't straying away from anyone for just that purpose. But then, why was she so positive that the answer was just beyond her grasp?

Maybe that was because of the letter she found on her seat in the car, the letter that she hid under the mat at the police station, the letter from killer.

Maybe that was why she gave it to them.

- - -

**_Well hopefully now it all makes sense. I want to thank Mikhaila for pointing the fact that chapter twelve was missing. Once again, oops. My bad._**

**_Sorry!_**


	14. Rage

_**Disclaimer: Nope. Not mine.**_

- - -

_Chapter Thirteen: Rage_

_- - -_

Kagome stormed into her kitchen, throwing her keys to a random spot on the counter and struggling violently to take her jacket off. When it finally came off, Kagome threw it somewhere down the hall and walked away, needing to cool off. When Kagome realized that pacing through her house wasn't good, she decided to take a walk outside.

Maybe the night air would do her good.

Hopefully but if Inuyasha showed his face she was sure to break more than his nose this time.

Putting on her runners, Kagome grabbed her keys and jogged out of the house. The minute the brisk night air caught up with her, she felt refreshed. Continuing to run, Kagome jogged down the streets, following the roads that if you followed them long enough, would head into town. She didn't plan on running for a long time but before she knew it she was only twenty minutes away from town (by jogging) and around thirty-five minutes until she was at the shrine.

Shrugging and realizing Miroku would have to come down this road to get to their place, she forced herself on. The road wasn't paved but the gravel was easy enough to run on, until it started getting hilly.

Realizing her breaths were becoming shorter, she decided to think about different things. Inuyasha would probably be a good topic to keep her going…

'How did this happen?' Kagome asked within her mind. 'Why him of all the people, why must he be the one that can influence my mind? He… He can make me hear them, he can make me go in too deep, he can force me to go places within there that I don't want to.'

_He can make the voices go away._

Kagome sighed. Her imaginary friend was back.

'I don't care. I just want him out of my life.'

_You can't change fate._

"Don't I know it," Kagome muttered and shook her head. She just realized that never before would she have thought this way. Kagome had never been a fatalist and had always believed that she controlled her own fate.

She could choose.

And now…she wasn't so sure.

_He needs to read them._

Kagome's breathing became laboured and her thinking was frantic. 'Read them? No way. No freaking way.'

_It will help._

"No it won't," Kagome hissed out loud. "I can't show him… How will I explain it? I don't have a solid alibi and he was already suspicious before."

_What about now?_

"He…he trusts me," Kagome murmured. "It's just the connection though. That's all. He can trust me because he knows my mind; he can smell that I'm not lying. But when he reads them…when he finds out that I wrote the deaths as it happened…he won't believe me. He won't believe anything."

_How do you know?_

"Will you stop with the questions?" Kagome shouted and stopped running, trying to catch her breath. Her panting was shallow and rapid and it was only now did she realize that her chest was in pain, several stitches at the side of her stomach complaining in protest. Her legs and muscles tensed excruciatingly from stopping and Kagome could do little more than walk in circles to relax.

When she felt better she turned to her left, looking down the rolling road to find that she was only ten minutes away from town. The air around her blew noisily and the sun started to set, leaving her with little light. She wondered how long it was going to take her to find Miroku. Even if she kept walking she would be at the station for a while since her house and the station we close to being on opposite sides.

Just then, as if on cue, she saw headlights coming towards her and she smiled, waving for Miroku to pick her up.

It was then though that she noticed it was a black Tahoe coming towards her.

'Shit,' Kagome thought. 'It's Inuyasha…'

The truck pulled to a stop beside her and Kagome crossed her arms, waiting for an argument. But he did nothing more than look at her so Kagome shrugged and got in his truck, avoiding his gaze.

"What are you doing here?" Kagome mumbled, looking out the front of the truck.

"Out looking for you because we desperately need to talk."

"There's nothing to talk about," Kagome said offhandedly.

Inuyasha growled and turned the Tahoe off, taking the keys out and putting them on the dashboard in front of him. "Are you sure?"

Kagome finally looked at him and caught his gaze. She wasn't sure what she saw there and something deep inside told her that she didn't want to find out.

"It was a fifty-fifty trade off, Kagome," Inuyasha said slowly. "You're not the only one with issues. So what did you see of my past because I sure as hell am not going to let you storm away thinking this is my entire Goddamned fault when we both are responsible."

"You _are_ responsible!" Kagome said through gritted teeth. "_You_ grabbed my hand. _You_ wanted to go where I didn't want to go and _you_ were the one that almost walked through that door that held what I don't want anyone to know about. _I _didn't go through your door. I saw it alright, just as I saw pretty much every single memory of yours. I didn't want to but I couldn't stop it."

"And I could," Inuyasha said bitterly. "It's not like I wanted that to happen. If I knew… Hell Kagome, I didn't even know that by touching you that…thing that we did could happen. Will that ensue every time we make contact?"

Kagome shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe it will and maybe it won't. But, remember when we went out to dinner that one night? We…touched even after the connection and nothing happened, so I guess not."

That left the two in uncomfortable silence, both remembering the small but burning memory of the night.

Kagome shook her head. "Never mind, just put the keys back in and drive me home. Where's Miroku?"

Inuyasha growled. "With Sango, it's a dessert date."

"Oh really?" Kagome asked, overly light. "Hmm…that's interesting. I thought he liked her."

"Kagome, stop trying to change the subject, will you?" Inuyasha all but shouted. "Sitting around and pretending nothing happened isn't going to solve a Goddamned thing. Right now, I should be in my office, trying to find out more clues on how to solve this murder but no. Right now, I'm sitting in the middle of the road with you, trying to solve _this_."

"At least it's not your first unsolved case _chief_," Kagome said bitterly. "Maybe that way you can get over it faster."

"What the hell? How did you…?"

Kagome bent down and pulled out the black notebook that she had searched through before, with all the cases that Inuyasha had ever gone on.

Inuyasha glared. "And you accuse me of going through _your_ personal life?"

"Then I suggest," Kagome spat, "that you learn to find a better hiding place then under the passenger seat."

"I didn't think anyone would take the time to search my car to find it."

"Well, then you shouldn't have left me in this truck with absolutely nothing to do for an entire day while you barked your head off ordering people around at the warehouse!"

"If you had been more cooperative and didn't faint every five seconds than maybe you wouldn't be there in the first place!" Inuyasha retorted.

"Excuse me for helping you find the only lead you had on Yuri's murder," Kagome bit back.

"I wouldn't call it a lead wench."

"It's better than the imaginary leads you thought up jerk."

"Are you suggesting I _made up_ clues for people to look into so it looked like I was doing something?"

"Me? Accuse you?" Kagome feigned shock. "Now why would I do that?"

"I don't know Kagome. You of all people should have an answer considering the number of times you punched me," Inuyasha said slowly, each word filled with venom.

Kagome pretended to think, which angered Inuyasha even more. "Hmm…oh, I know! Maybe it's because you're an egotistical bastard? Mm, yes I think that's about right."

"What the hell is with you? Do you just have triple the normal hormones or are you always this moody? One minute you're fine with me and the next you're screaming at me for another one of my so-called faults. What is with you and why are you pushing me away?"

Kagome glared daggers at him and then suddenly leaped forward to take his car keys, turned around, opened the door and jumped out, heading down the road towards her house.

Inuyasha tapped his foot in silent contemplation of what to do and then abruptly got out of the car himself. He chased after her, his large steps easily catching up with her own. "What the hell do you think you're doing? Are we in grade two where if we're angry we become a bully and take things from others? Or do you think you could grow up and be a little more mature?"

"Look who's talking! You blame everything on others and if you don't get your way you become in a pissed off mood just to get your point clear that you don't want to talk. Talk about the pot calling the kettle black."

Inuyasha instinctively grabbed her wrist and forced open Kagome hands, trying to get a hold on his keys. Kagome was just as fast though and tightened her grip, twisting her body so that her back was to him and it was more difficult for him to get them.

"Why do you have to make everything so hard?" Inuyasha growled and Kagome mimicked the action.

"Why do you always have to push people over the edge?"

"Just give me the keys!" Inuyasha yelled.

"Make me jerk," Kagome shouted just as loud.

Inuyasha snarled and with a jerk of his hands, spun Kagome around harshly. She crashed into his chest and she looked up quickly only to see Inuyasha glowering over her. She felt his hands grab her wrists tightly and after trying to pull away and realizing it was no use, she shrieked in frustration.

"Let me go!"

"Why are you pushing me away?"

"Just let me go now or-"

"Or what princess?" Inuyasha disputed. "Are you going to hit me and run off? That's not going to solve anything. Kagome, I need your help. Trite needs your help and I know for a fact that we need you to solve this. We can't do this without you."

"Right," Kagome hissed. "But no pressure."

"Hell, are you going to make me say it Kagome? Fine, if that's what it's going to take to get it through your head. We can't do this without you and _I_ can't do this without you. I can't."

Kagome stopped struggling and took a deep breath, feeling Inuyasha's hands relax around her wrists.

"But," Inuyasha continued, "We need to stop fighting. And we need to stop now."

Kagome looked up and saw the sheer determination in his eyes. He really wanted to help the people of Trite but was that all she was useful for? The town couldn't survive without her and Inuyasha couldn't survive without her skills.

So she was a tool. A Goddamned tool.

"Is that all I am?" Kagome whispered. "Am I just a tool?"

"How did you come up with that?" Inuyasha asked in the same voice.

"It makes a lot more sense," Kagome muttered, her voice barely audible and the sounds of her breathing loud as the night around them seemed to swallow them whole.

Inuyasha leaned down, his eyes still on hers, the intensity so strong that it was almost tangible. His lips were so near her own and Kagome felt her breath hitch in her throat.

Before she could even think about it, his lips pressed against her own and she found herself instantly responding, her wrists finding the new will to be free and wrapping around his neck, tangling within his silver hair.

None of them even noticed the keys falling to the gravel road.

They didn't break apart and the kiss itself wasn't pressured but light. It felt like he was teasing her, his lips playing against her own in a manner that would seem like nothing except the fact that she could feel the intensity and want behind it. She felt his hands wrap around her lower back and bring her closer, the kiss deepening, the want nothing more than a natural need.

When their lungs demanded air, they broke apart, their lips brushing and toying.

"Does the idea of you being nothing more than a tool still make more sense?" Inuyasha murmured breathlessly against her lips.

"I don't know," Kagome whispered. "I think I still need some convincing."

Before Inuyasha even had a chance to respond, Kagome crushed her lips onto his and the passion grew. Kagome felt nothing more than a blinding dizziness, her mind on nothing more then being with him. Her hands toyed with his long hair, wrapping and losing themselves within the locks as Inuyasha held on had at her neck and the other at her back.

They couldn't tell how long they'd been there, or how long the kissing had lasted but by the time they were done, a harsh breeze rocked the trees making Kagome shiver.

Inuyasha smiled down at her and gently traced his thumbs across her lips. Once again, Kagome shivered though this time she wasn't sure whether it was because of the wind or Inuyasha. When neither of them spoke, Kagome sighed and leaned into him, burying her face in his shirt. "Do you know how shitty this timing is?"

Inuyasha sighed himself, wrapping his arms around her and kissing her forehead. "I know. Trust me, I know."

"And you know what's worse?"

"Other than a killer on the loose, people getting murdered or this weird connection thing we have, what's worse?"

"That we're outside in the damn cold."

Inuyasha laughed. "I guess I should drop you off then, unless…"

"Unless what?" Kagome asked; confusion in her eyes.

"You're still mad at me and want to walk?"

Kagome went up on her tip-toes to be at level with him and placed a gentle kiss on his lips. "I prefer going in your truck thank you very much."

"Then can I please have the keys?" Inuyasha asked innocently.

Kagome blushed and avoided his gaze, knowing that she dropped the keys when they were kissing. She hadn't really cared about them while he was against her. When he didn't say anything, Kagome looked up to see Inuyasha smirking at her, the triumphant glint in his eyes sparkling.

She gasped and lightly shoved him, vaguely pleased when she noticed it hadn't affected him. Spotting the keys from the moon's light, Kagome dashed towards them and ran as fast as she could to the truck. When she reached the driver side door, she heard Inuyasha's growl.

"Don't worry Inuyasha; I'm just…putting the keys in the ignition for you."

Inuyasha quirked an eyebrow at the statement. "Uh-huh. And I'm supposed to believe that?"

"Well, you wouldn't doubt me would you?"

Inuyasha grumbled as she sauntered towards his Tahoe. The moment he sat in the car with Kagome in the passenger seat, he muttered, "Feh."

"Come on _chief of trite_, take me home!"

Inuyasha opened his mouth to say 'Feh' but decided against it. It would only prove her point. Once again, Inuyasha found himself cursing the one that named this town.

He drove her home and when they reached her driveway, she smiled. "Do you want some coffee?"

Inuyasha glanced at the time, realizing that it was around midnight and that he wasn't the slightest bit tired. "Sure. I could go for that."

Already being in the house, Inuyasha made his way easily to the kitchen and watched Kagome shamelessly, noticing little things he hadn't before. It wasn't until she caught him looking though, did he realize those little things were going to bite back at him. Kagome was in front of him within a second and just as quickly her lips found his.

It went on like that for a while, the kiss getting more and more heated before Inuyasha picked her up and started making his way to the hall. They both knew where this was leading them to and neither of them stopped it.

That was of course, until Miroku and Sango barged in, completely unaware and ultimately destroying the moment, red faces on every single one of them.

- - -

Nazuna glanced around her bedroom, sighing when se realized nothing was there. For the last couple nights, she had been imagining footsteps in her house, doors creaking, harsh breathing…

She really needed to stop watching horror TV shows.

What was with her these days?

Nazuna sighed and sat up in her bed, tossing the bed sheets off her body and standing up. The room around her was dark and seemed to taunt her. Think of them…

Yuri and Kirara suffered miserably, they're lives were spent, wasted.

And they were left in the dark.

She couldn't take the thoughts any more they were killing her. Slowly she felt like she was fading. She couldn't train herself to think straight. From being at her job now it seemed to go by so slowly that it was like she lived there. Being a small town hairstylist wasn't particularly a difficult job, especially since the hardest thing she had to do was dye the grey hair that everyone seemed to be getting these days.

Stumbling into the kitchen, Nazuna started the coffee maker and waited drowsily for it to finish. The one habit she hated herself for was that fact that once she woke up, she wouldn't go back to sleep, no matter how tired she was. She wandered around the room while waiting, playing lazily with random items that caught her eye: random papers, pens, cups that were never put away and other objects. It was then she noticed a folded up sheet on her table, which was quite out of place, but didn't think much of it since her coffee was now ready.

The harsh liquid felt smooth on her throat and Nazuna sighed with ease. "Much, much better," she whispered.

Slowly, she made her way to her kitchen table, sitting in the hard wooden chair. Only the light above the table was on, giving the rest of the house an eerie look. She would have all the lights in her house on if only Hydro wasn't so expensive these days. She was barely making ends meet as it was.

Shaking her head, she took another sip and then looked curiously at the blank folded sheet of paper. "I don't remember that," Nazuna murmured to herself, putting the coffee down and leaning over the table to grab it.

"Oh!" she gasped suddenly after reading the contents. "This is not good, I have to…" she trailed off when she realized her options were very limited. "But then…what do I do?"

- - -

_**Alright, now things should make more sense. Hopefully I didn't confuse you guys too much...**_

_**Next Chapter: **Hate-_ _"Do you know the meaning of hate?" Kagome's words were clipped, an unusual detachment in her normally musical voice._

_**Please Review, you guys are the best!**_

_**P.S. There will probably be a maximum of thirty chapters but no more then that. So we're almost half-way there.**_


	15. Hate

**NOTE! Okay guys, in case you didn't notice, I screwed up the chappie order. So if you DIDN'T read Darkness (chapter 12), I suggest you read it. Only because it has some information you need to know. Thank you!**

**_Yes. I am back. With another evil chapter. With another evil cliffy. _**

**_But I am depressed but I just finished writing the end of Imaginary and am so depressed right now that I can't write... Talk about addiction to your own story..._**

**_Disclaimer: No I don't..._**

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_Chapter Fourteen: Hate

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Kagome waited impatiently in the front seat of her car, waiting for Miroku who was taking his sweet time getting ready. Finally fed up with her friend, Kagome slammed her hand down on the horn, the loud annoying sound resonating through the house.

"I'm coming!" Miroku yelled from somewhere inside. "Just a second, please."

"You said that five minutes ago!" Kagome hollered back at him.

Miroku peeked his head out the door, a small scowl on his face. "I don't think you've been waiting five minutes Kagome, be realistic."

Kagome looked at the clock and mentally calculated. "Oh, I so terribly sorry, I've been waiting six minutes. Please, forgive me."

"You're so touchy this morning," Miroku commented, now walking out of the door with his cell in hand. "Sango and I already apologized for what happened last night."

Kagome blushed and looked down. "I told you Miroku, enough of that. And I'm not touchy."

Miroku smiled and shook his head. "So I trust that things are good with you and Inuyasha?"

Kagome shrugged. "I think so."

"Well, once again I'm sorry for…interrupting the two of you."

"Nothing was happening Miroku!" Kagome whined.

Miroku laughed. "My dear sweet Kagome, I know you're not that naïve. And we both know _I'm_ not naïve. You were heading towards the bedroom, am I right?"

Kagome glared at Miroku, and the words _shut up_ rang all too clearly in his mind. "Let's just go," Kagome muttered. "Inuyasha wants us to be there to help him with some stuff. I think they're getting the results of both the blood in the warehouse and on the axe. Everything was backed up so I think they're just sending everything over together."

"Yes, Sango told me all about it last night."

Kagome smirked. "Oh, I almost forgot. How was your dessert date last night?"

"I assure you Kagome it was not a date of any sort. More like…a friendly outing."

Shaking her head, Kagome laughed. "Right, I see."

"And it's not me and Sango that you should be worrying about. It should be you and Inuyasha. And me, being an absolute pro at this love thing, think it's for the best," Miroku's voice sounded innocent enough but Kagome took none of it.

"Conceit is God's gift to little men, remember that Miroku," Kagome murmured just loud enough for her friend to hear.

"Aesop?"

Kagome shook her head, smiling at Miroku. "No, Bruce Barton."

* * *

Inuyasha drummed his fingers, impatiently on his desk, waiting for his deputy Sango to hurry up and get in his office. 

"Sango!" Inuyasha hollered, knowing well that Sango could easily hear him.

"Hold up," Sango muttered, waiting patiently as the fax made its way through. "I'm trying to get the information for you."

"Then hurry up!" Inuyasha's snappy voice came back.

"Hey chief, do you want the info or not because I can just as easily push it through the shredder."

Inuyasha remained quiet after that and smirking triumphantly, Sango grabbed the finally finished fax sheet.

"Here," Sango said as she entered Inuyasha's office. "It's the past history of the warehouse. It never belonged to Yuri or anyone under the Wadena name. The most recent was in 1976 when it belonged to a man named Mr. Orikasa."

Inuyasha frowned. "Isn't Nazuna's last name Orikasa?"

Sango thought for a moment and then nodded. "Yeah and it's her father's last name too. I already needed to check Nazuna out because of some stuff between her, Shippo and Kirara. Didn't she come in claiming she was the killer?"

Inuyasha nodded, shrugging. "She hated Kirara after what happened with the so-called love triangle. I don't know ask her but I guess she wanted Kirara dead and after it happened she just sort of…lost it."

"Did she have a solid alibi?"

"As far as I could tell, she did. I'd further check into it though."

Sango nodded and clapped her hands. "Got it. Oh, and Miroku and Kagome should be here soon. Any reason you wanted them to come here?"

"I want Kagome to check over the scene's where we found the bodies…maybe their apartments. I want to get as much information as I can."

"Even as ominous as that?" Sango raised a brow. "So what exactly did you do before we crashed your little party?"

"Don't tease me now; you're the one that set us up in the first place."

Sango's cell phone ring held off any comment Sango was about to bring. Answering it quickly, Sango flipped open the phone and spoke.

"Yeah?"

"_I think Inuyasha better go outside,"_ Miroku's voice came in clearly. _"We can't get in there without being seen and unless you want us to go in there publicly, I suggest you do something. Reporters are practically setting up camp."_

Sango gasped and looked outside. "Okay, thanks Miroku. I'll call when it's clear." When she hung up, Sango looked at Inuyasha. "Chief, did you not see the twenty something people outside the station?"

Inuyasha jumped up and dashed to the door, cursing when he saw the people. "What sort of people work here if no one can see the freaking reporters piling up outside our _door_?" Inuyasha spoke loud enough to make sure everyone knew he was not happy and soon everyone was looking outside, hiding sheepish grins.

Taking a deep breath, Inuyasha forced himself outside and into the crowd of people. As fast as he could, Inuyasha organised a date for the meeting to take place where he would answer as many questions as he could tomorrow. It took a while and lots of promises, but finally they were all gone.

Inuyasha walked in and stared at the main office where everyone seemed to look at him. "Traitors," he murmured and then walked back into his office.

Twenty minutes later, Kagome and Miroku walked into the office.

"Did you learn anything new?" Kagome asked hopefully.

"Well the warehouse that Yuri was using belongs to a man named Mr. Orikasa or so he was the most recent owner of it. And if we're correct, Mr. Orikasa is Nazuna's father," Sango said quickly.

Inuyasha nodded. "I called you two here to help me check out the crime scenes and their places. Maybe Kagome, you can pick up something?"

Kagome looked to the side wall, thinking but then making up her mind, remembering Inuyasha's words last night. "Sure. When do we leave?"

"Right now," he said slowly and then looked at Sango. "I need both of them and are you going to check out Nazuna now?"

Sango nodded. "I'll take Ayame with me, okay?"

"That's fine with me. I just want you to be careful, make sure to question thoroughly. Actually, I prefer you bring her back here and record it. Nazuna seems to be in part with it, even if she doesn't know it."

Kagome zoned out the rest of the conversation and looked around the room. She had been in it several times but the conversation at hand didn't seem to grab her. Something else was calling her attention…something else…

Kagome had no clue what she was searching for but before she made the decision to, Kagome walked out of Inuyasha's office and to the main room. A couple of officers looked at her though she took no notice. Something was telling her to move…

It was like a whisper through the breeze though certainly no wind moved in here. It was a calling of some sort and it was telling her to…to…

_Look. Focus Kagome, look._

Her imaginary friend talked to her, soothed her and more quickly she moved. Behind her she heard Inuyasha call her out of confusion and Miroku's deep voice. Sango had yelled something too, but none of it registered. None of it seemed to matter.

_Look. It's there._

'What's there?' she wanted to know. She clung to the voice and kept on the realization that she was doing something right, not crazy.

And then she saw it – saw _her_.

"Nazuna," she whispered. The young woman didn't seem to notice, her eyes were trained on the mat at the door and her hair was up in a hat, her eyes shielded by sunglasses. Kagome started to run forward, the urge to get her strong. Something about what she was doing…what she held.

"Nazuna!" she yelled. Inuyasha's hands grabbed her from behind but soon dropped the minute he realized what she was looking at.

Sango rushed forward and opened the glass door, but Nazuna noticed and saw them. Dropping the sheet of paper, Nazuna made a run for it. The gust of wind that surrounded her blew off her hat and her long brown locks. She made the mistake of trying to get it and before she was able to get it, Sango was at her.

Sango grabbed her arm gently but held a firm grip. "Nazuna, what are you doing here? What's wrong?"

Nazuna struggled to break free. "Let go of me! Let me go!"

When Nazuna saw that Sango was about to hold her in a firmer grip, blind instinct took over and her will to not be caught filled her. Using the hand that Sango hadn't managed to get just yet, Nazuna spun around and slapped Sango.

The burn to her cheek stung and Sango momentarily loosened her grip. Nazuna felt her chance to escape and jerked away, only to crash into a hard body and be trapped again by strong hands.

Sango recovered the instant she let Nazuna get away and when she saw Miroku standing there in front of her, holding a panicked Nazuna, she took charge.

Grabbing handcuffs off her belt, Sango immediately cuffed the screaming girl.

"Chief," Sango called to Inuyasha, whose attention was focused elsewhere. "Where do I put her?"

Inuyasha looked up and thought for a moment, trying to remember what the deputy said. "Room two," Inuyasha shouted and then turned away once more looking at the raven haired girl who was crouched on the ground.

"_Two down, two more to go. The stakes are higher and it's all because of you. Her life is in my hands and I'm about to let it slip away. Do you know the meaning of hate?"_ Kagome's words were clipped, an unusual detachment in her normally musical voice.

"Kagome?" Inuyasha asked. "What are you talking about?"

_There's one more,_ her friend whispered from the darkness in her mind.

"This," Kagome said, her voice sharp. "It's a note, something Nazuna was trying to put under the welcome mat." She pointed to the welcome mat at the front of the door and Inuyasha winced.

Kagome lowered her arm and caught his gaze. "Where's the other note?"

"How did you-?" Inuyasha didn't even finish his own sentence. "Never mind, let's just go back inside."

Kagome nodded and walked away.

"Heaven just keeps getting hotter, doesn't it?" Inuyasha muttered and followed, already dreading the rest of the day.

* * *

Sango watched Nazuna with mild interest as she sat down on the chair across from her. Nazuna's eyes seemed to spit rage but when Sango looked closer, she saw something else. 

Pure fear.

"Let me out of here," Nazuna said, the words trembling. "I didn't do anything, so let me go."

"Gladly," Sango said. "After answering a few questions, if you don't mind."

"I didn't do it; I swear I'm not the killer!" Nazuna yelled; her voice cracking.

"And yet wasn't it you that willingly came into the station two days ago claiming that you _were_?"

Nazuna's body physically trembled and tears came to her eyes. "I was scared okay? After what I said about Kirara I thought-"

"What did you say?" Sango interrupted; her voice harsher and more distant. It was part of interrogation that Sango knew she had to be quick and cunning, if not slightly cruel. It was how they seemed to get answers.

"I…I wanted her d-dead. Because Shippo cheated on me with her and she acted as if the world was all smiles and sunshine. I hated her for that."

"Hmm…really? Shippo told me he broke up with you that morning and at the party he got drunk, as did Kirara. It was all an accident and even if it wasn't you were no longer together."

"You don't get it, do you?" Nazuna hissed. "I loved Shippo. Do you know how much it hurts when someone drops you off like that, as if you don't matter? It kills Officer Houko, it really does."

"Literally or figuratively? Explain the notes to me Nazuna, the first one and the second one." Sango handed the girl the two notes and she watched as Nazuna took them, her hands shaking.

"I didn't do it," she whispered.

Sango shrugged. "Then explain this to me."

Nazuna took a deep breath and put them down. "The first one I found quite a few days ago, probably around a week ago. It was on the front seat of my car, I'd never seen it before and it looked so out of place… I read what it said before I touched it and when I realized it probably had something to do with Yuri's death; I grabbed some gloves and moved it. The next morning I put it under the mat, hoping you would find it. The second one I found early this morning, like before dawn. It was on my kitchen table and I don't know when it got there. I hadn't seen it last night; of course I'd gone out for dinner."

"With who?"

"Korari Takeda, you know her?"

Sango shook her head. "Can you give me her address? Where she works maybe?"

Nazuna quickly gave her the information. "She works for that guy named Naraku Morikawa, the lawyer? I believe she's his secretary. But if you're going to check anyone out, I'd check him. He creeps me out."

* * *

The car ride to the café was a quiet one. Kagome rode in the back of the car while Miroku sat up front with Inuyasha. They had already gone to the farmer's field, the place where Yuri was murdered. It took a while but soon memories had flooded within her and Kagome had doubled over in pain at the emotion. 

She knew the bare facts, that Yuri was strangled to death, cut later. Yuri's feelings were of pure shock, so that told them that the killing was unexpected (though, most were). Kagome had told Inuyasha everything that she felt, everything that she knew…except one thing, one emotion.

Hate.

The power of the hate seemed to be so strong that only pure evil could hold it, treasure it and nurture it. The evil inside the person who did this was strong, fierce and uncontrollable. For some reason, Kagome had felt the need to retain that information and hold it herself. She wouldn't tell him…yet.

It was the strangest feeling, what she felt for Inuyasha. She couldn't quite put her finger on it. Okay, so Miroku and Sango were right, they _were_ heading towards her bedroom last night. But was it strictly just because of all the emotional stress? Sex was always good taking away the heavy weights of stress but…would he really do that to her? Would…she have done that to him?

Kagome sighed in frustration. Why was this so confusing?

Inuyasha noticed her sigh and looked through the rear-view mirror to see her. "Are you okay? We're almost at the café."

Kagome looked at Inuyasha and forced down the heat in her cheeks, thinking about thoughts she would rather keep private. "Yes, sorry. Just…thinking."

Inuyasha nodded. "It sucks, doesn't it?"

Kagome scoffed. "You're telling me."

Their destination appeared only a minute afterwards, and after parking, the three walked slowly out of the car and towards the once popular café. Kagome immediately took in a deep breath and prepared herself. Before she could even shore up her mental walls though, the voices grew and soon she was clouded with noise.

"_You'll know…then you'll tell. I can't let you…I _won't_ let you."_

Kagome shivered; the voice of the killer strong and loud. It was just like at the field though; she could hear the sound of him but couldn't really tell if it was a deep voice, high voice…hell she didn't even know if it was a boy.

Miroku grabbed her hand. "Will you be okay? Do you need a lifeline?"

Kagome walked into the café without answering, merely shaking her head. She wouldn't have to go deep to find this. She wouldn't even have to try.

"_Get away! Leave me alone! What are you doing? What are you doing-?"_

Kagome walked around the room, touching the bare walls and the large main counter. Made of marble, the smoothness felt cool to the touch…

_Kirara tried to run, wanted to run, anywhere. She had to get out, get out before she was killed. Her life was in danger and her primal instincts for survival took over. Her legs tensed and released as she sprinted, she cut the corner sharply, going behind the counter and towards the door._

"_Don't try to run you liar," the voice murmured, the sound deadly quiet. _

"_Oh God help me! Don't! I didn't know, I didn't know! Oh Jesus I didn't know!" Kirara shrieked. "Help me, please, oh please…"_

_She was pushed against the counter, the cold chill of the marble sending a shock down her body…_

The walls, Kagome noted, were rough, specially designed and decorated. The walls had added texture and a jagged feel…

_She was pushed against the hard wall, the air pressed out of her lungs…_

She stood in the spot that Kirara's chopped up body lay, hacked into bits…

_The final image that flashed through her mind was the glint of the metal and the final sound was the gasping breath when the first impact sliced through her. She couldn't breathe… She couldn't think of anything but the blackness that covered her vision…_

_Death and an everlasting hate…_

"Kagome, dammit, get her out of here," Inuyasha barked, grabbing Kagome when he saw her start to choke for air, her eyes wide and pupils enlarged to the point where there was no colour.

"She must have heard her voice, felt Kirara's pain through the words… She saw the death..." Miroku mumbled; his words barely audible as he chased Inuyasha out of the café where he was currently shaking Kagome.

"Snap out of it, Kagome wake up!"

"Huh?" Kagome groaned.

Inuyasha sighed in relief but then a moment on the sidewalk caught his eye and he immediately cursed. "What the _hell_ are you doing here?"

"Well, hello to you too little brother."

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**_Did you like it?_**

**_Next Chapter:_ **_Truth-"Hate for what though?" Kagome couldn't help but ask, remembering the strong emotion envelope her body, feeling the lashes as the hands clawed around her throat, as the axe struck down into the flesh…_

**_P.S. Do not give me a review that tells me how long it took for me to update. I know I was late. And I apologize for having a life outside of FanFiction._**

**_Terrible thing, I know._**

**_Please Review! And I will answer any questions you have...unless it's something I can't tell you and you just have to read to find out!_**


	16. Truth

_**Blahhhhh Blahhhhh Blahhhhhhhh... Oh, thanks for the reviews!**_

_**Disclaimer: Do I own Inuyasha? ...Hmmm... Uh, no.**

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Chapter Fifteen: Truth

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Inuyasha couldn't contain the growl that crawled through his throat or the urge to bring Kagome closer when she still seemed to be so distant.

His day couldn't have gotten any worse even if it tried.

Kagome felt his chest rumble, her head pressed against him with his clawed hand. Her senses woke up and soon everything came back so clearly, it was almost blinding.

"In-Inuyasha?" she mumbled, trying to make sense of everything. She felt close to him, too close and she didn't know the reason why. Had she gone too deep? Had something happened?

She didn't even remember trying, just…walking around the café.

Inuyasha didn't even pay attention to her. "I said what the hell are you doing here Sesshomaru? Or have you become deaf after all these years of hearing people cry?"

The man named Sesshomaru stopped in his tracks, no expression shown whatsoever on his features. Just like Inuyasha, he had silver hair and those magnificent amber pools that could easily be mistaken for the sun. The only differences were the strange marks on his face, where a purple crescent moon sat on his forehead and three marks on either side of his cheeks. He had a strong build and wide shoulders that could make any guy look second-best and though he wasn't overly-muscular, he wasn't scrawny in the least.

Inuyasha growled when he wasn't answered. "Sesshomaru, answer me! Why are you here?"

"Why else?" Sesshomaru answered coldly.

"Sango told me you were back. I just haven't thought of a reason why just yet. Or are you yet again trying to bring your little brother into shame?"

Kagome listened to the conversation, though the only one that really spoke was Inuyasha. Pushing away from him, Kagome looked up at Inuyasha's features, seeing him both tense and angry. "Inuyasha?"

"Get in the car Kagome," Inuyasha said quietly, looking behind him to see Miroku. "Miroku, get Kagome out of here. You can go home now if you want."

"But, don't we have to look at their homes?"

Inuyasha glared at Kagome, willing her to be quiet though he knew it was too late.

"So, I see that since you couldn't solve this matter last time, you're now getting the help of people who have nothing to do with this. Hmm, though I guess she was a good choice, considering the fact that she is a look-alike."

Inuyasha growled at the smug face Sesshomaru wore. "Shut up. Why won't you tell me why you're here? You have absolutely no reason to be and I don't want you."

Sesshomaru shook his head. "Still as thick-headed as ever, aren't you Inuyasha? Doesn't this all seem a little familiar? Yuri's death, Kirara's death…? It should all make sense by now, don't you think?"

Miroku stepped up until he was right behind Inuyasha. "What is he talking about?"

Inuyasha looked behind him to face Miroku. "I thought I told you to get Kagome out of here!"

"Why?" Kagome demanded. "I'm okay."

Inuyasha sighed explosively and ignored Kagome, looking at Sesshomaru with a grim expression. "Despite what you might think, those were my suspicions. I just…didn't want it to be true."

Sesshomaru nodded almost unnoticeably. "Call us in; we'll take care of this case."

"Hell no," Inuyasha said firmly. "Just so you can take over the entire investigation? I think not."

Kagome put a hand on Inuyasha's shoulder. "Okay, okay. Everyone just calm down, please. Now, Inuyasha who the hell is this?"

Inuyasha scoffed and shook his head. "This is-"

"Sesshomaru Taisho, FBI," he stated, pulling out his badge to show Kagome.

"Wait, so you guys are brothers?" Miroku asked, looking between the two. "I thought you two looked a lot alike."

"We're half-brothers," Inuyasha muttered through gritted teeth. "Let's not continue this conversation, please. Sesshomaru, I didn't call in the FBI and I never will. And you are to get nowhere near this case, got it?" Folding his arms across his chest, Inuyasha held firm.

Sesshomaru merely stared at Inuyasha, his face expressionless. Kagome gazed into the older brother's eyes and noticed how hard they were to read. They were cold…distant.

Without even blinking, Sesshomaru turned around and started to walk away, back down the way he came.

Kagome watched with a confused look. "I guess you're not really close, huh?"

Inuyasha laughed and shook his head. Walking back to the Tahoe and starting it. "Come on, we still have the houses and then we're done. I want to get back to the station quickly to see how Sango's doing with Nazuna."

Miroku and Kagome followed, Kagome sitting once again in the backseat. She didn't say anything, and she particularly didn't want to discuss what she felt. It was always hard to do, to express the emotions and pain that other people felt and kept private. Much to her dismay though, Miroku turned to face her and asked, "So what did you get out of there? You gave us a bit of a scare because you were gasping for breath."

Kagome shrugged, not wanting to admit that she remembered nothing of that. "The killer literally chopped her up with the axe so whether she bled to death or one of the hits just ended it right there, I couldn't really tell. It was more or less the scene of what happened. What she felt when she was being chased…"

"She was chased?" Inuyasha asked curiously, frowning.

"Well, unlike Yuri, she had time to think. When Yuri was murdered it was a surprise and she had no time to prepare. One minute she was with the killer, all innocent and unknowing and then the next hands were around her neck and everything went black. With Kirara it was different. An axe is hardly easy to hide behind one's back so when Kirara saw it, she must have known she was going to die, or was supposed to die. She ran; she really tried hard to live. She made a beeline for the door but got caught, thrown against the counter and then against the wall, then to the floor. Kirara watched the axe come down to kill her. She knew."

Kagome shrugged. "Different emotions were felt, Yuri's were less intense because she wasn't aware dying. She was unconscious while the killer finally finished the job. Kirara felt regrets, joys, pains and love before she died. As she died."

Inuyasha shivered. "And you…didn't see the killer? No hints, clues, something in the background to give us some sort of lead?"

Kagome shook her head. "It was like watching a movie only the camera was entirely focused on Kirara. If there was any part of the killer shown it was bland, uneasy to remember."

"So we barely got anything out of this."

Miroku frowned. "Kagome, if you can only hear the voices of the dead and can't see them, how did you 'see' Kirara's death?"

Biting her bottom lip, Kagome tried to recall the feeling of being overwhelmed, hearing…sensing… "The voices…told me a story, I guess you could say. I feel the pain but I hear the story as it's told by the voices… I think."

"You'd think the universe would try to give us a break and just let us see who the killer was," Inuyasha muttered, clearly unhappy.

"Little life lessons we have to learn," Kagome stated softly, a little depressed herself. All the pain she was feeling, sometimes it just got to her. It became hard to ignore, the constant feelings of uselessness, loss…

"And do these little life lessons involve the deaths of so many?" Inuyasha asked tersely.

"If it's what makes us wake up to the reality of life, then yes. Death must be involved. And apparently, the broken reason of why the murderer is killing so many is our little life lesson. Anyone get the feeling it's a class we have a good chance of failing?"

* * *

Nazuna unlocked the doors to her house and opened them. Stepping in, she more or less blocked the way for Deputy Houko and Officer Kakazu. "Why do you need to come in to my home? You guys have no reason to."

"Other than the fact that you're suspected for murder? Look, we can come back later with a warrant or we can do this easily and painlessly if you let us in."

"No," Nazuna said simply. "I'm not the killer and I have alibis for both murders."

"Both which can easily be broken," Sango stated, her patience wearing thin. "If you really aren't the killer, why are so tense about letting us in. If you're innocent you should have absolutely nothing to hide."

Nazuna gritted her teeth but then opened her door wider, letting Sango and Ayame step through. Nazuna sat on the couch in her living room, the bungalow small but more than enough room for one person. Sango stood across from Nazuna, questions already coming out while Ayame looked around the place.

Ayame didn't venture further than the living room, looking at the pictures and the choice of decorations. She didn't pay much attention to the various questions Sango asked, and soon Ayame stumbled upon what looked like a pyramid of pictures on the wall, all of them of her with someone.

Some looked to be with family members, the resemblance easy to see while others were with friends. The pyramid held one picture at the very top, in the prettiest frame with the most eye-catching picture. It was an image of Nazuna with a friend, though Ayame couldn't quite remember the name. The woman had beautiful sparkling navy eyes though and long black hair that reached her hips. Yes, the face was familiar but the name seemed just out of her grasp.

Nazuna and the other girl were in front of some sort of restaurant, out of the country, and they wore long matching dresses that only had a difference in colour.

Her brows knitting together, Ayame opened her mouth, a question forming on her lips. "Nazuna," Ayame started to ask, cutting Sango off though she wasn't entirely aware of it. "How old are you?"

Nazuna looked at Ayame like she'd grown another head, albeit she answered. "Uh, I'm twenty-eight." Then, looking to Sango, she said, "Do you have any more questions or can you leave now? I'm tired and after everything, I want a shower, some good food other than your crappy coffee and a nice soft bed."

* * *

When Inuyasha, Kagome and Miroku stepped out of the Tahoe, they expected to come back to a quiet station and discuss matters of what they knew with Sango and call it a day.

Well, those plans just flew out the window when they saw a silver BMW convertible outside the building with Sesshomaru and a mysterious woman beside him.

Inuyasha felt like punching a hole through the walls in the station though all he did was growl a pleasant greeting towards his half-brother.

"What the hell gives you the God damned right to be here, you bastard?"

Sesshomaru's face twisted and his glare was just this side of icy. "Whether or not you like it little brother, I'm going to be a part of this investigation."

"Hell no," Inuyasha roared. "No God damned way."

While Inuyasha and Sesshomaru yet again fought, Kagome looked at the woman who sat in the passenger seat of Sesshomaru's car. She looked fairly tall, maybe a good couple feet taller than her with piercing red eyes and her black hair streaked with a red colour that seemed to blend in the dark cascades. Her hair was down and it reached just below her shoulders. Her lips were a deep blood red and when the woman caught Kagome's gaze, she smirked.

Kagome fought the urge to take a step back and casually looked away, back to Inuyasha who was currently counting out the reasons on his fingers of 'why the hell he should not be part of the investigation.'

Just then, Kagome felt a hand on her shoulder and turned to see Sango, her black hair down. "So Sesshomaru finally showed his face," she murmured.

Kagome looked at her, shocked. "You know him?"

Sango nodded. "Five years ago a large set of murders appeared. This was before Inuyasha was the chief and Sesshomaru hadn't belonged to the FBI. He got involved and Inuyasha wasn't really happy with it."

"Their not exactly like peanut butter and jelly, are they?"

Laughing at Kagome's choice in simile, she shook her head. "They're half-brothers because they share the same father. If you didn't already know, Sesshomaru is a full demon and Inuyasha's only half. Their father's first wife was demon though after she died due to some sort of illness, he remarried a human and had Inuyasha. I think Sesshomaru resented the fact that their father remarried, or it could just be the fact that Inuyasha is indeed a half-breed. Demons and humans were never meant to be together, or so they say. I personally think its bullshit but some people are just so fixed in their ways."

"That would make sense," she mumbled under her breath, watching the two argue. And as it turned out in the end, Sesshomaru won.

Inuyasha was one pissed off puppy.

When they were all seated in the one of the conference rooms, the whole debate of information started. Kagome shared the small bit of information she learned about the places and to her surprise, Sesshomaru didn't seem at all disbelieving of psychic abilities.

It was unnerving.

Just then before they had a chance to continue, a knock at the door stopped them. Ayame walked in quickly after. "Sorry chief but the blood DNA results are in. The blood in the warehouse was just a lot of different mixtures of blood put around after time. No results were given, but they kept trying so that was the reason for delay. The blood on the axe however was a match to Kirara's."

"So we have the murder weapon," Inuyasha nodded. "Thanks Ayame."

Smiling and walking out of the room, she shut the door behind her and conversation prolonged.

Sango started off her bit with Nazuna. "Her alibis aren't solid but it might take a while to break them. She didn't know all that much about the warehouse other than the fact that her father owned it and privately sold it to a man who now lives somewhere out of the country. Her explanation for the notes though was a little sketchy. She claims she found them, the first one in her car and the second on the kitchen table. She has no clue where they came from."

"Can I see the notes?" Sesshomaru asked.

Inuyasha eyed him but nodded, leaving the room temporarily to get them. When he came back with the two notes in hand, they were photocopies and had been laminated. "Here," he said gruffly.

"_A twenty-eight year old grudge. If at first you don't succeed…try, try again. It's time now, she will die. A princess with an unforgettable death._ This is the first note, right?" Sesshomaru asked.

"Yeah," Sango said. "We got it two days later."

Nodding, Sesshomaru handed it to the woman. "What do you think of this Kagura?"

Kagura studied the note and smirked to herself, those red ruby lips teasing. "Definitely written by the killer," she murmured. "It's a personal message, the words are clearly written, deep. It's a very personal and very painful reason this killer is working."

"If you don't mind me asking," Miroku said, "how would you know?"

Kagura smiled again, her red eyes taunting. "I'm also apart of the FBI. How else would I know him?" she asked, pointing with a perfectly polished red nail towards Sesshomaru.

It was then that Kagome noticed an unusual sparkle in the woman's eyes and when she saw Sesshomaru turn to the woman, she noticed that the icy front he put up with everyone seemed to disappear –if only slightly- for Kagura. Ah, so they were together?

"So please," Inuyasha said sourly. "If you two want to be apart of _this_, you better contribute your half. What does that letter alone give you?"

"That the reason for all this pain occurred twenty-eight years ago, that the killer has killed before for the exact same reason though he or she didn't get the results wanted albeit they most likely didn't get caught. The entire pain or reason behind the killing is because of one specific person, and it's 'time' meaning that the killer won't rest until the deed is done. They most likely have a pattern or the killer would have killed the intended one first so he or she has a very promising M.O and the final target is female."

Kagura looked at Inuyasha. "Is that good enough?"

Inuyasha cursed. "Oh Hell."

Kagome picked up the second note and looked at it quickly before giving to Kagura. This time, she read it out loud. "_Two down, two more to go. The stakes are higher and it's all because of you. Her life is in my hands and I'm about to let it slip away. Do you know the meaning of hate?_ My guess would be…" Kagura took a second before she spoke. "A part of this pattern she follows is that she kills a maximum of four people. For whatever reason, the stakes are higher and they are because of," Kagura looked around the table until her gaze landed on Inuyasha, "…one of you."

"One of us?" Inuyasha asked, incredulously. "Why?"

"Maybe one of you got too close to the target, or you're getting too close to her. Anyways, you're affecting how the killer is thinking and now maybe she feels more out of control? Maybe powerless? Who knows but I'm guessing he or she still feels like they have some sort of control, or he or she knows that they're going to be victorious. That they won't lose, regardless or this knew…issue. And the reason behind the killing is hate. Pure hate."

"Hate for what though?" Kagome couldn't help but ask, remembering the strong emotion envelope her body, feeling the lashes as the hands clawed around her throat, as the axe struck down into the flesh…

"It could be anything," Sesshomaru said. "So that's what we have to find out."

Miroku leaned back in his chair. "Well this is all fine and dandy and I understand why Kagome and I are here, but Inuyasha, you haven't yet explained why these two are."

"We're here," Sesshomaru said tensely. "For our own reasons."

Inuyasha scowled. "And you're really going to earn their trust that way."

"Trust isn't apart of this," Sesshomaru stated.

Kagura shook her head. "Sesshomaru, tell them. They have a right to know, especially if you're correct."

"About what?" Sango asked.

Sesshomaru seemed to struggle with whether he was going to answer or not though no emotion passed his features. "I…believe that we're dealing with the same murderer that affected Trite five years before." He looked at Inuyasha and when Inuyasha did nothing more then agree with the murderous look in his eyes, Sesshomaru continued. "A killer struck, taking four victims, one each week. The first victim was a woman named Kikyo Hidaka, then Rin Noto, Faye Richards and finally Koharu Irvin. Rin Noto was my adoptive daughter and I had left on business that day so she was alone in the house since I hadn't yet met Kagura."

Miroku looked stunned and sharply gazed towards Kagome who had her head lowered. Finally, Miroku realized the utter shocking truth behind the murders and why Kagome had been so hesitant about him reading Kirara's death. She wrote the deaths as they happened and she hadn't told him. 'She has to show them then,' he thought.

And as if Kagome read his mind, she whispered in a hoarse voice so low he could barely hear. "I know."

* * *

_**Next Chapter: **Better Judgement- Hot searing pain clouded her. Looking up to her imaginary friend weakly, Kagome watched as the face blurred and suddenly, everything just went black._

**_Please Review!_**


	17. Better Judgement

_**Disclaimer: I. Do. Not. Own. Him.**__

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Chapter Sixteen: Better Judgement

* * *

The voices wouldn't leave her alone.

…To say nothing of her guilt.

Kagome lay in bed; her tresses now tangled and spread out along the bed. Her eyes to any other would look almost lifeless though it was merely the distant gaze she got anytime she went in too deep. And that was exactly what she was doing that night.

She knew she was in the wrong to do it, but she had to. She needed help.

The only person she knew that could help her was, well, _her_.

The imaginary friend.

Kagome didn't want to do this but she was desperate. She couldn't bear the weight of knowing and holding such information. It was against Kagome's better judgement to not let Inuyasha read the stories and it certainly wasn't because she was afraid of what he'd think of her writing style. Something within her told her to keep it to herself.

And that something was more like a 'someone.'

Kagome felt the icy grip of death as she felt her mind surrender to the darkness, as she felt the chill tingle down her spin as a new reality came before her, as she saw for the first time her imaginary friend.

Kagome took a step forward and tilted her head, taking in the image for the first time. "Who…who are you?"

"Is that really important?" For once, the voice wasn't just a whisper in the breeze or a lost voice in an echo. It was clear, concise, and human. They had finally met.

"I think so," Kagome retorted, trying not to sound indignant. "If you're my imaginary friend then I'd think-"

"At the moment, what you think isn't what should be."

Kagome caught the woman's gaze and felt a shiver pass through her. "I'm guessing you're using that as a double-meaning?"

The woman nodded, a faint shimmer of a smile crossing her lips. Her skin was pale and clear, her eyes a solid colour and her lips fine. "He cannot see them just yet."

Kagome couldn't help but take another step towards her. "Why not? Won't it help us? The investigation? Won't it save lives?"

Shrugging the woman didn't give a definite answer. "That depends on how many you want to save, Kagome."

Sighing, Kagome looked around the emptiness. "Is this were you stay? Is this…all you have?"

The woman laughed, shaking her head.

Kagome looked up at her. "Can you tell me…is there really a Heaven? Or a Hell? Do they exist?"

"I don't know," the woman said slowly. "Do they?"

Kagome growled in frustration. "I was asking you."

"And I'm asking you. Kagome, do what you believe in and do what you feel right. All of it leads to something, nothing can ever end."

"So, I can never be wrong? If I just follow my instincts everything will turn out the way it should?"

"Just think of it this way: you may be closer to wrong, but you're no further from right."

"Cryptic much?" Kagome asked rhetorically. Shaking her head, Kagome looked at the woman. "Why…why can't you tell me who you are?"

"Not yet," she whispered. "Not yet."

Kagome opened her mouth to further question when she felt a burning sensation overtake her body. She felt her knees go weak and her head throbbed. It was like fire was set upon her body and the raging push of reality forced her to the ground.

"He's calling you back," she whispered. "Your friend…he's worried."

Kagome clenched her teeth and squeezed her eyes shut. She was too deep without a lifeline and as Miroku tried to stir her, hot searing pain clouded her. Looking up to her imaginary friend weakly, Kagome watched as the face blurred and suddenly, everything just went black.

* * *

Nazuna took the towel off the woman's head, letting wet hair fall to the shoulders as she put the towel in the back. The hairstyling place that she worked at was small but convenient. A long room with two outside rows of chairs and mirrors, it held enough room for roughly half the town and because lighting in the room was dim and not extremely well connected, a large window at the front of it brought in most of the light.

Nazuna combed through the hair of the pale blonde before her and sighed inwardly. Something had been bugging her all day. Well, actually, it had started over a week ago but she hadn't really paid much attention to it before now.

Call it intuition, but Nazuna had the feeling that she was being watched, stalked.

She shook her head and mentally slapped herself. Stalked? What was she thinking? In a small town that barely made it on a map, nothing bad ever occurred in the town. Everyone knew about everyone. And there were certainly no stalkers in Trite.

Of course, before she could've sworn that there were no murderers in Trite either.

Nazuna cursed herself as she grabbed the scissors and gathered a small amount of hair in her hands, putting it in a clip before getting to work.

She wasn't being stalked. Nothing bad was going to happen to her.

But even as she thought those words, she couldn't help but gaze out the window, hoping in some sense, she was right.

* * *

Miroku felt Kagome's body: cold, clammy and stiff. All of her muscles were tense and her body barely moved when Miroku picked her up to shake her. Her eyes were wide open and her lips were almost blue.

"Kagome, what are you doing to yourself?" Miroku asked her pleading, knowing full well he wasn't going to get an answer.

"_Why won't you show them?" Miroku demanded. "This is a matter of life or death for the people here and even though you have two detailed stories that could give the people enough leads to actually catch the guy, you refuse to show them. What has gotten into you?"_

Kagome's body jerked but she still remained stiff, unconscious.

Miroku laid her back down on her bed and took his head in his hands. Why was she doing this? No lifeline… He could tell by the way her body was responding (which was absolutely nothing) that she was way too deep.

Maybe this time, she wouldn't be able to get out.

"_You don't understand," Kagome whispered. "I can't."_

"_And why the hell not?"_

Miroku dashed to his cell that lay buried somewhere in his room. He threw clothes everywhere until it was found under some papers on his desk. Unsure of whether to call 911 or not, not knowing what they could do for something like this, Miroku ran back to Kagome's room.

Last night they had a fight, the second one in their entire friendship. She had gone to her room after a brisk goodnight and remained there. It was noon the next day when Miroku had started to get worried. First of all, Kagome never slept in but taking in the fact that it had been a hard two weeks, he let it slide. Then after a long while he stood by her door to see if there was any sound. She could have been just avoiding him.

When he heard no sound, he started to get worried.

Especially when he called her name and no answer came back.

"_Because I just can't, got it?" Kagome screamed. "Stop interrogating me and scolding me like I'm a child. I may not know what I'm doing, and I know this goes against any normal human being judgement but in case you haven't noticed, I'm_ not _normal!" _

It was just when he walked back into the room and placed his hand on her forehead when her felt her body jerk forwards. She lashed out, her hands clawing and a moan escaping her lips. She sounded like she was in pain, deep, fresh, raw…

"Kagome, are you okay? Kagome, wake up!" Miroku shouted, relief showing in his features.

"M-Mm," the sound died in her throat. Kagome blinked rapidly, water springing to them like bees to honey and soon droplets fell off her pale ghost cheeks.

"Miroku?" she whispered; her voice hoarse. "What are you doing?"

Miroku sighed loudly and smiled. "You're okay? Thank God Kagome!"

Shaking her head slightly, Kagome lay back down in her bed and threw the covers off of her. "It's…so hot."

"It shouldn't be," Miroku said, confused. "The AC is on and I personally find it freezing."

"Coming back," Kagome said, explaining but Miroku understood that as much as he understood Gibberish.

He understood Gibberish as much as he understood women.

Simply put, he didn't understand it at all.

After a while, Kagome relaxed and Miroku left Kagome alone so she could change and get ready to meet Inuyasha and Sango at the station.

It took Kagome a while and she didn't rush to get the job done. She almost dreaded seeing him, knowing that she had valuable information that she wouldn't give.

She couldn't give.

…_Something_ depended on it.

And that was something she had yet to find out.

* * *

"Chief, have you decided to call in the FBI?"

"No decisions have been made at this time," Inuyasha said reasonably. "We are taking everything into consideration and looking at every possible angle."

Bullshit.

"But Chief, do you think you're doing enough? Who do you have working on the cases?"

"Everyone is doing what they can to solve these murders. Right now I cannot release any information on either of the victims."

"Do you think they were killed by the same person?"

"I think it's a long stretch to be calling this murderer a 'person.' But as I said before I cannot release such information."

"Do you plan to place any curfews?"

Inuyasha nodded his head, inwardly sighing. He hated these stupid things. "Yes, it is going over with the mayor as we speak and should be announced by tonight."

"Is it strictly women this man is targeting?" one reporter asked and soon after, a rile began. Men in the group shouted and defended themselves.

"How do you know it's male? It could just as well be female!"

"I heard a woman didn't have the physical strength to do it," one male shouted.

Women of the group of reporters started to yell in outburst and words such as 'sexist,' 'pig,' and other words too crude to speak of were shouted. Officers quickly got everyone back in their seats but Inuyasha had had just about enough.

He was extremely thankful when he saw Kagome enter the back, give him a quick smile and head towards the back and out another entrance that headed towards his office. Taking his gaze off her, Inuyasha briefly gave an encouraging statement a promise and then headed out of the building himself, avoiding all other questions that were shouted at him.

When he met up with Kagome and Miroku in his office, he wasn't surprised to see Sango with them.

_Slap_

Frankly, he wasn't surprised by that either.

"Damn pervert, keep your hands away from me or I will file for sexual harassment."

Miroku grumbled but said no more, his gaze downward as he took a step back. If he couldn't touch, he could certainly see.

Sango sighed as she looked towards Inuyasha. "I have the background check on Korari; you know Nazuna's friend-slash-alibi?"

Inuyasha nodded.

"There was nothing out of the ordinary as far as I could see. Perfectly clean record, above average student during high-school. She was both the teacher's pet and popular, never did anything like drugs," Sango shrugged.

"Is it just me, or does everyone in Trite have a perfectly clean record?" Kagome drawled.

"I was starting to get that feeling too," Inuyasha admitted. "Okay then Sango, can you-"

"Wait," Sango said, holding up her hand. "Don't tell me. You want me to bring Korari in?"

Smirking wouldn't have been the smartest thing to do at that sort of time so Inuyasha just nodded –somewhat sheepishly seeing the dangerous glare in her eyes- and walked out of the room, dragging Kagome along by the arm.

Miroku stood there, gazing downward with a smile of satisfaction on his face. Sango turned and saw him blink, then realized what he had been doing for the past ten minutes.

_Slap

* * *

_

The room around her was cold and the blandly coloured white walls didn't help the sudden chill. Tying her blonde hair back into a ponytail, she waited anxiously, chewing her mint gun until all taste was drained out.

She vaguely wondered how long she had been there and also how long she would be waiting.

Right after that thought left her, the door handle jiggled and a tall woman with her hair down walked in, her expression bored if not irritated. She recognized her as Sango Houko, the head of investigation for the recent murders.

"Korari Takeda?" Sango said pleasantly, though strained.

"Yes?" Korari asked using an overly light tone. She still had no clue why she was here. Why she had decided to come was another matter but she didn't get a chance to really think since the officer continued.

"I'm Sango and before you ask, you're not in trouble and not under suspicion. We would just like to ask you a few questions regarding what you had been doing last night."

Korari nodded. "Okay then, ask away."

"Were you out last night with Nazuna?"

"Yeah, we went out to Suki's. We normally go there at least once a month to catch up on stuff because of my busy work hours."

"What time did you see her?"

"I picked her up at her house around seven for dinner. We went out to Suki's and stayed there until closing time around ten-thirty. It was mostly just chatting. Our waitress was named Jay by the way and my boss was also there so he can say I was at the restaurant."

"Naraku Morikawa is the name of your boss right?"

"Yes," Korari answered earnestly. "I don't know why though. I remember…well he asked if I had plans that night and I told him about meeting Nazuna for dinner. It was weird because after that he became quite interested. Maybe I'm just paranoid with everything that's happening."

"Would Naraku have any access to Nazuna's house or car?" Sango asked, wondering why both Nazuna and Korari found him strange.

Korari's eyes widened. "God I hope not. Though he's not exactly bad looking, his way or…nature is pretty deranged."

"Deranged how?" Sango asked.

"The way he words something or the way he acts. I don't really know but now that I think of it, he does seem to have an odd obsession with Nazuna. I mean, she comes over to see me a bit and normally he can hear our conversations when he walks by so it's possible he would know our plans…"

Sango looked at Korari strangely. "What are you trying to get at Ms. Takeda?"

Korari shrugged, looking at Sango with eyes that made her look very vulnerable. Sango wondered if this woman would be the next victim… And that scared her.

"Well, since Nazuna has never taken any interest in him other than wondering why he was so weird…maybe my boss has a thing for her."

"Is that what you think?"

Korari looked at the plain scarred table in the room and traced an indent on it with the tip of her index finger. "No… He's married but that doesn't stop most guys these days anyways." A small humourless laugh escaped her. "Maybe I'm just really paranoid but now that I think of it, like really start to think about it…Naraku has always been where Nazuna and I have been. Like when we go out, he's always there."

"Then I guess," Sango said with a sigh, "that I have one more person to talk to."

* * *

Ami Dai looked at the clock with mild irritation and cursed the line of people that was making her job go by longer. She was already supposed to be off the clock but this woman had either a very big family or they all just ate a lot because it would take at least two shopping carts to put all the bagged goods in.

How she managed to shove all the food originally into one cart was more than an undeniable talent, it was a miracle.

She was a bit on the thin side too…

After all the groceries were bagged and put away, and a receipt given, Ami turned to look at a young teenage boy who was to take on the new shift. He had blonde, somewhat long hair and an expression that could be read as either bored or wistful –wistful in the sense that he didn't have to work and it was all a bad dream.

She signed herself out and wrote the teenage boy's name, humming to herself while she fumbled for the keys in her purse and walked to her car in the parking lot. It was getting late out and Ami's stomach loudly reminded her that dinner was needed.

It wasn't until she reached the car that she realized the only food in her cupboards was a couple of cans of some unclassifiable food (surely something some friend brought over) and some bags or boxes of month old expired meals.

Just peachy.

Turning around and walking back into the grocery store, Ami made her way through the too familiar isles and looked around for a decent meal that would give her enough leftovers for a couple days.

Finally finding the food she wanted, she grabbed an extra bar of chocolate to sooth herself and then waited in line.

Which ironically was the exact same line she had been cursing only minutes ago.

* * *

_There she is, all thoughtful and smug._

_She's a bitch who needs to learn her lesson._

_She must be getting desperate if she's doing things for herself and not waiting for her friend to do it for her. _

_Poor, poor Ami, carrying her own groceries like that._

_She must feel so little._

_So undignified._

_She thinks she's all that but I'll show her._

_I'll show them all._

_Say bye, bye Ami._

_Say bye, bye.

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_**Next Chapter: **Us and Hell- "It's natural for someone to feel obligated to protect something that could be hurt, shattered._ _It's natural, it's human instinct. It's how we survive in this world. So when you saw me, all alone, trying to get by this…this problem I had, you fought to protect me."_

_**Please Review!**_


	18. Us and Hell

_**Disclaimer: No I dont...**__

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Chapter Seventeen: Us and Hell

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"And just _where_ are we going?"

"Somewhere."

"Smart ass."

Kagome sighed and leaned back against the dark leather seat, vaguely realizing that she was growing accustomed to being in that particular position. Of being with him.

"It's nice to know you think so," Inuyasha said innocently and smirked when he noticed her tight expression. He laughed, causing Kagome to ease a bit and then laugh herself.

She wasn't entirely sure of what she was feeling, of what she felt. But Kagome knew that there was something there inside of him that she wanted.

That she _needed_.

Stupid Inuyasha.

It was the same old talk she had been giving herself for the past couple weeks. Did she like Inuyasha? Well, she'd have to know the definition of like to understand that. Did she love Inuyasha? …Did she?

Did he like her? Did he _love_ her?

Did she ever stop with all the questions?

No, and that had to be the only question that she could easily answer. Sadly.

A silence fell over the two and Kagome once again looked out the window, trying to find any recollection of where she was and finding none. They had passed the main road and were now going down a street that held a lot of homes and families. They had passed several and Kagome grew even more curious as to where they were going.

She turned in her seat to face him but before she could even open her mouth, Inuyasha shook his head. "I'm not telling."

Kagome frowned and looked back out the window.

"Unnerving how I'm starting to be able to read you, huh?"

Kagome turned with a wry expression on her face. "Reading me? That's new. How did you learn to do that?"

"Feh," Inuyasha murmured and Kagome almost laughed.

Every time they got close to approaching the subject of their so-called relationship, they both shied away from it. Kagome had for her own personal reasons; reasons he didn't have to know about just yet. Kagome knew she wasn't quite ready to confess her entire past and she wasn't sure if he was ready to hear it.

He probably just didn't want the commitment.

But was that all that was going to happen that one night? Were they just going to sleep together and then write it off as a leave of stress?

Kagome swallowed the lump that formed in her throat and tried to shake off the wave of nausea that hit her. What did that just tell her?

Kagome shook her head. She wouldn't think about it. Not yet.

It was just…bad timing. That was it. End of story.

Kagome laughed to herself, the sound both humourless and dry. How the hell had this all start?

"Shit," Inuyasha cursed softly and then hesitated a bit before slowing the car down and pulling it to the side of the road.

"Are we here?" Kagome asked, somewhat laconic. "Already?"

This time Inuyasha cursed loudly, turning to face her. "Jesus, Kagome-"

"I don't want to talk about it," she said. Her voice was matter-of-fact and held some hurt in it. "I don't want to discuss it because that's all we seem to ever do if we even get _close_ to the subject and every time the same thing happens. We get caught up, feeling emotions that just never seem to last more than a couple hours and then I get hurt. Maybe you do too, I don't know but what I do know is that I get the cold shoulder about all this."

"It shouldn't be like that," Inuyasha said softly, looking at her. "How many times did-?"

"Twice," Kagome answered, cutting him off before he could finish. She didn't think she could survive it. "Twice something happened between us that we couldn't stop."

"Why not?" Inuyasha asked, more to himself than Kagome. "Why can't you?"

Kagome looked away and out the window, her body pressed against the seat and as Inuyasha watched her, he noticed how vulnerable she looked, how open. "It's the timing," she said finally. "It's just that with everything that's been happening, all the loss, the deaths, the pain… We need some way to stop thinking about it and well, we all know what some people do when they need some sort of comfort."

Inuyasha stared at her incredulously, thinking that that couldn't be the reason. He wouldn't do that to her, would he? Inuyasha tried to sort out through his emotions, trying to figure out exactly what he felt for her. What scared him the most was when he actually found an answer.

He didn't know.

He couldn't say he loved her, not because of anything that she'd done but because he wasn't sure of himself. Though he couldn't deny that he was attracted to her, he didn't want anything to start just because of it. He hadn't been aware that all he felt for Kagome was pure lust but…how else could he explain it?

Just the thought of what he'd been doing caused him to wince. But if it had been just lust then…why did it feel like much more?

He didn't bother to think that question further, just taking what he could about the matter at hand. "Hell."

"Not nearly," Kagome muttered. "Not just yet."

"Jesus I'm sorry Kagome, I didn't mean to…" he trailed off, unsure that he could actually say what he wanted to.

Kagome shook her head. "Don't apologize, it's probably all my fault."

When Inuyasha just looked at her, she smiled weakly. "I was just a woman who seemed vulnerable to you. Maybe not at first, but once you experienced what I felt, heard portions of the voices, went inside my mind, felt my…craving for normalcy. It's natural for someone to feel obligated to protect something that could be hurt, shattered. Like say you had a stuffed animal that belonged to your grandfather. When he passed away it was given to your mother and then finally given to you after you had a terrible nightmare. You do anything in your power to protect that little thing from the dog or the cat, sometimes you make a fake bed for it or you never let it out of your sight in case something does happen. It's natural, it's human instinct. It's how we survive in this world. So when you saw me, all alone, trying to get by this…this problem I had, you fought to protect me."

Inuyasha's mouth formed a tight line and he couldn't help but let out the bit of strain he felt even though he tried to cover it up. "And when I felt your need to no longer be alone I tried to fix that. Great, now it all makes perfect sense."

* * *

Korari Takeda sighed as she methodically tapped her fingers on the desk before her. As good as the pay was, Korari couldn't help but feel bored when she went to work and she neither enjoyed it nor looked forward to it. Though the work was simple enough, Korari vaguely thought that that was part of the problem. She needed a challenge of some sort to get herself going.

"Korari, how are you doing?"

Startled, Korari turned to see a tall dark haired man with hair that reached to almost his hips. Deep red lips that to anyone that dare think it would be feminine and piercing red eyes that could hold you in place. He was some sort of demon though Korari had never talked to him about anything like that. Demons and humans lived together, whether someone would go far enough to say peacefully was another matter but they tolerated it.

Sighing somewhat in relief, she smiled. "Oh, I'm fine Mr. Morikawa, you?"

Naraku Morikawa shook his head; a small laugh that seemed caught in his throat the only sound. "How many times do I have to tell you to just call me Naraku?"

"Sorry sir- Naraku. Is there anything I can do for you?"

"Not at all. I'm about to leave for the station in minutes time so if you finish your work, you might as well just lock the place up and go home for the rest of the night."

Korari winced. "I'm sorry to get you involved Naraku. I just needed a witness to say Nazuna and I had really been out that night."

"Oh that's okay," Naraku said easily. "Don't worry about it. Weren't you planning on going out again tonight?"

Korari nodded, all of her senses on edge. "Actually…yes. I'm going with Nazuna and Tsubaki. How'd you know?"

"Tsubaki told me," Naraku said, obviously not noticing her discomfort. "Remember when you arranged for Mr. Mizuka and me to have a meeting? Afterwards we went out for a drink and I met his family at the restaurant beside it when I was leaving. They're a very nice family, quite easy-going. Actually, I'm seeing them tomorrow morning."

"Oh," Korari said, not sure of what else to say.

"Well, goodnight Korari. Lock the place up when you're done."

And with that, he was gone.

* * *

The rest of the car ride to only God –and Inuyasha- knew where, remained uncomfortably silent but neither of them tried to break it. After the painful and blunt conversation, there was nothing more to really talk about.

Kagome hoped anyways.

She remembered the final words she said and the way that Inuyasha made no response. If only he knew how much it hurt to say it. Did she understand her feelings for him? No. Did she want to distance herself from him? No.

But did she want to bring herself into a lie and when this was all over watch it as it was completely destroyed her in a second?

No.

Kagome thought for a moment and then a sudden excitement filled her. "Hey Inuyasha," she said, too eager to remember why the truck was so silent. "Do you have a piece of paper and pen?"

Inuyasha looked around and opened the side compartment beside his chair that separated him and Kagome. "Here," he said as he handed her a pen. When he couldn't find a piece of paper, he told Kagome to see if she could find a black notebook under her chair and that she could rip out a page from that.

"Why do you want it?" he asked when she started scribbling something over the paper, her neat handwriting filling the page.

"I'm still an author you know. Miroku, as my agent, has let me take this time off because of what I'm doing for the police but it doesn't stop me from getting ideas."

Shrugging, Inuyasha kept driving until they reached their destination. The famous Sleep Inn was probably the only thing that was built fairly recently, the rest of the town nothing less than ancient.

"Come on," Inuyasha said somewhat gruffly and got out, Kagome following behind.

"Why are we here?" Kagome asked, trying to keep up with his fast pace.

"Sesshomaru and Kagura are staying here though I don't see their car. They might be out since it is lunch."

Kagome could feel the harshness in his words and Kagome knew for a fact that it was hurting him.

And her too, dammit.

But she kept her mouth shut, letting all of her anger seep into the back of her mind. She followed him into the building and watched as he sauntered over to the receptionist. He showed his badge to her and in a firm voice asked if Sesshomaru had left the building. Kagome listened in horror at the tone of his voice and couldn't believe the amazing amount of cruelty in it.

"Yes sir," she said, her voice shaking slightly. "Around twenty minutes ago, with his wife I believe."

Kagome smiled at the fact that the receptionist thought that Kagura was Sesshomaru's wife.

"Then can I have a card key? It's for the ongoing investigation."

"Oh, about the murders?" she asked, shocked. "Then of course!"

The receptionist actually had no right to give him the keys but Kagome thought that she too would have been terrified about it all. Everyone was, even some of the men because there was no full proof that the next victim would be female. It was just as possible that it would be male.

Without thanking her, Inuyasha grabbed the keys and turned around and headed for the elevators. Kagome gave the girl a sympathetic glance and then dashed off to catch up with Inuyasha. She knew what she had to do.

When they got in the elevator and the doors closed, Kagome turned to face him. "What the hell was that all about? You have no right to act that way towards her!"

"Why do you care?" Inuyasha asked her, his anger coming forth.

"Because you were being an egotistical bastard and acting like you're in grade two! We made an agreement Inuyasha, what do you want me to do about it?"

Inuyasha shut up then and looked away, watching as they finally reached the fourth floor and the doors opened. Using the key the receptionist gave him Inuyasha entered the room and sat down on one of the overstuffed sofas all plain, boring rooms hotels had. Kagome shut the door and sat down beside him.

Thinking back to his anger towards her and everyone else, she remembered the reason why. Those painful words that they both agreed on, both came up with and both decided would be for the best.

"_Maybe we shouldn't get involved," Kagome said solemnly, trying to hold back the tears that threatened to spill._

_Inuyasha smelt the tears but kept his face emotionless. He couldn't deal with these murders _and_ his love life. She was right, as much as he didn't want to admit. "You're right, we shouldn't. It was bad timing and with everything that's going on…"_

"…_We need to focus all our energy on catching this murderer."_

"_So…that's it?"_

_Kagome nodded, turning away so Inuyasha wouldn't see the single tear that rolled down her cheek, even though she knew he could smell it. "Yeah. That's it."_

"Why are we here?" Kagome asked abruptly, trying to rid herself of the painful recent memory. She vaguely wondered if she was going to get any sleep that night.

Unknowingly to Kagome, Inuyasha was thinking along the same lines as the girl next to him and was thankful when she spoke. "You know how Sesshomaru has the idea that this ties into the series of murders that happened five years ago? Well, I wanted to meet him so we could gather all the similar aspects and all the different aspects and see if this is just a copycat –which it could possibly be-, if it's the same killer or if it's a completely new one."

Kagome nodded in understanding but whatever she was going to say back to him was forgotten when two people walked into the room: Sesshomaru and Kagura.

"Why are you here?" Sesshomaru asked tediously, if not bluntly when he made his way towards them.

"To talk about five years ago," Inuyasha stated mildly, obviously used to the way Sesshomaru so coldly treated him. "I thought you could help since you literally forced yourself into the investigation back when Rin was…killed and since now you imposed yourself on this one."

Kagura laughed and shook her head. "He's just as arrogant as you are," she told Sesshomaru who rolled his eyes and said nothing.

"Please Sesshomaru, can you help us? We'd really appreciate it," Kagome said, hope in her eyes as she gazed steadily towards the demon.

It was then that something powerful struck Sesshomaru.

It wasn't tangible and it wasn't visible but it hurt as much as a stab to his heart.

More or less, that was exactly what it was.

'Rin…'

Sesshomaru stared at Kagome wide-eyed, scaring both Inuyasha and Kagura though Kagome seemed to not have noticed it most likely because she hadn't known him all that long. His jaw was taught, his mouth slightly agape, and his eyes searching, wondering and…hurting.

He remembered every single memory, every single word and every single smile she had given him. He had been on a case about a serial killer/ rapist who had killed five different women. The fifth one had been tall and slender with blonde locks and forest green eyes. When he had gone in search of the family, he was shocked to learn that she had none other than a little girl who she had taken care of. Legally, the woman didn't have Rin as her own so Rin would have had to been forced to go into the foster care system. Just imagining the poor child, as innocent and heartbroken as she was, with some family who probably wouldn't give a shit about it anyways, made Sesshomaru feel funny. So in the end he adopted her.

It seemed he had a heart after all. And then she was murdered.

Sesshomaru finally snapped out of his thoughts and blinked. Kagome was just like Rin, he realized gravely. Their minds were the exact same, the way they addressed something, acted, talked…

"Then get out a piece of paper and let's start," Sesshomaru said quietly.

Together, they all worked out several differences and similarities between the attacks. "It's the same pattern," Inuyasha said after a while of studying. "One victim, every week. And if it does stay along the right path, it would be once every five years and for four weeks. Meaning…"

"Meaning we have two more victims to go," Kagura said grimly. "Of course, the M.O always changes in a way. One could be shot while the other is stabbed."

"Only because they were killed for different reasons that all created one solid purpose," Kagome explained.

_Tell them…_the voice whispered.

Kagome took a deep breath. "So, Kikyo was the trigger, the reason this all started let's say if it's the same killer. Kikyo was killed because it brought on the strong emotions inside so it's safe to say that she was killed for being herself. Rin –I'm sorry- was killed for her personality. Faye was killed for her eyes since the killer decided to burn them out with acid and Koharu was killed for her hair since they shaved it off."

Inuyasha squinted his eyes in suspicion. How did she know so much about their deaths? They had gone into slight detail but nothing big enough to let on all that. "What about these killings?" he asked.

Kagome shrugged. "There wasn't a trigger this time I don't think, mostly because this killer seems to have a specific time table or pattern. This is around the same time Kikyo, the first victim, was murdered so it makes sense. I believe that Yuri was murdered for her hair or looks, due to the way she was cut up. Um, Kirara was murdered for her personality because by chopping her up the way she did; it could be symbolic for destroying her soul just by mutilating her body."

"So if the pattern follows," Inuyasha continued. "That means someone will be killed for their eyes and for just being who they are –unless the latter is changed."

Sesshomaru looked at the piece of paper with all the information and shook his head. "I won't change because this time, it's much more personal." And just when they thought they had things figured out, hours later Miroku called, his voice frantic.

* * *

_**Next Chapter:** Amendment- Nazuna had a plan already formed in her brain. First she was going to talk to him and then she was going to slap him and continue dancing the night away. Both simple and realistic. Sex on the Beach really did help you come up with great plans._

**_Please Review! I love all the reviews I've got so far, you're the best!_**


	19. Amendment

_**Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha**_

_**THANKS FOR THE REVIEWS :)

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**_

_Chapter Eighteen: Amendment

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_

Tsubaki smiled wickedly at Korari and Nazuna who looked at themselves in the mirror. They all stood in a darkly coloured room with metal bed furnishings and awkward angled mirrors. Tsubaki always had a taste for obscurity in design.

"Where did you get this?" Korari asked, fingering the skimpy but attractive blood red tank top that Tsubaki let her borrow.

"Seduction, seven dollars."

Nazuna sighed. "I'm starting to wonder if I'm getting too old for these kinds of clothes."

Korari stared worriedly at her friend and then gave a knowingly look to Tsubaki. "To Sin Central on the double!"

Pushing a blonde strand of hair away from her face, Korari then lunged at her and started moving.

Laughing, Nazuna let herself be pushed down the stairs, out the door and into the car. Sin Central was a club and bar that the three friends normally went to once a month. Despite what was happening in the town, they thought they shouldn't let it completely ruin their fun. Not only that but Sin Central was out of town so they thought it would be safer there than in Trite.

Tsubaki was grabbing the keys and before Korari sat down in the back, she gasped.

"Ah, my purse! I'll be right back."

Nazuna found herself alone and in the dark. Her body was restless and she noticed that she was straining to see in the inky blackness of Tsubaki's backyard.

Once again, she was reminded of the weird feeling of being watched. Nazuna quickly locked the car and rubbed the back of her neck, feeling the hairs standing straight up.

Relief flooded through her when Korari ran back out of the house and into the car with her purse in her hands. "Have you seen Tsubaki?"

Nazuna shook her head. "She hasn't come out yet. I thought she was inside getting her keys."

"I didn't see her. I don't understand why she always keeps her car doors unlocked," Korari started with a sigh. "I mean with this killer going around and everything."

"I do it because I have no reason to fear," came a voice from the outside. Tsubaki opened the door and hopped in the driver's seat. "There's no reason for anyone to kill me and it will never happen to me. I think I'm safe, okay?"

Korari sighed irritably at her friend's logic. "The final last words."

Laughing, Nazuna nodded. "Remember, 'never' is Karma's doorbell. And oh _ding dong_, it's for you."

* * *

The club was packed, as per usual for Sin Central. Lights flashed on and off, the place, even with the lights, was quite dark and the black painted walls didn't help make a light impression either. 

As the heavy beat was blasted into everyone's ears, the three girls danced away freely, unaware to the many eyes staring at them with lust. Some males had even gone up to them and put their arms around them, grinding with them without so much as a 'hello.'

By midnight, Korari was positive she had seen only one fifth of the faces of men she'd danced with.

Not too comforting…

With the huge crowd and sweating bodies around them, she didn't even think she'd be able to point someone out. All the faces looked the same, all wearing dark makeup, the majority wearing black clothes… Overall they were no more than dancing, breathing, sweating and grinding clones bent on making the night worth something.

When the beat started to pick up and all three of the girls swung their hips with more force and speed, Tsubaki felt two hands snake around her waist, slowly and steadily making their way to her breasts.

Instantly, Tsubaki raised her hands and held the unfamiliar two, pushing them back down to her hips. She tried dancing yet again but the guy she was dancing with didn't let up and changed his tactics. If he couldn't go up, he could certainly go down.

Nazuna saw the anger building up within Tsubaki and knowing her friend all too well, realized that she would start a scene. Quickly making her way to her, Nazuna pressed herself up against Tsubaki and started grinding with her, following the 'help' code.

The 'Help' code was a simple idea the three girls had made up: if one of them was in trouble, uncomfortable or just minutes away from punching some asshole in the face then one of them would start dancing with them and drag them away, turning and twisting and getting lost in crowds if the guy didn't get the message.

Nazuna started to pull Tsubaki away, dancing with her like she would any other and when she realized the creep was still following Tsubaki –still attempting to grind with her from behind- Nazuna turned them and forced them to get lost in the crowd.

Too bad only seconds later, Tsubaki's "friend" caught up with a friend.

Who started grinding behind her, officially squishing the two in the middle.

Tsubaki looked at Nazuna, who looked back at her with dangerous eyes. Together they stood up straight, completely stiff and unmoving and then walking away with not so much as a glance to the perverted men behind them.

Korari, who saw the entire thing from the bar, tried to hold in the laugh that just escaped her. She watched as her two best friends joined her, both with wry looks and being the good friend she was, ordered them a fruity alcoholic drink each before they got there.

"Mm, Korari, I love you," Nazuna sighed after taking a long sip of drink shamelessly known as 'Sex on the Beach.'

Flashing the two a wicked smile, she nodded and looked around the room, hoping to see any hopefuls that would busy her schedule.

And then she saw him.

"What the hell?" she murmured, squinting in hopes of seeing better. She really wanted to be wrong but that arrogant smirk, the slimy black hair was all too familiar.

It was Naraku and he was looking straight at Nazuna with hungry eyes.

"What's wrong?" Tsubaki asked, looking at her friend worriedly before looking in that direction.

Korari shook her head and when Tsubaki looked back, the confusion was out of her eyes but the worry wasn't. "What is it?"

Wondering if Tsubaki had seen Naraku or not, Korari decided not to say anything until a bit later on. Perhaps it was just coincidence.

Perhaps she was full of shit.

After a couple rounds of Sex on the Beach –Tsubaki's idea-, the three made their way back down to the dance floor and moved to the beat, feeling more alive than ever.

Korari on the other hand couldn't get the sight of Naraku out of her mind. She looked around the room again and once more she spotted him, his eyes fixated on Nazuna and unknowing to her own eyes.

Nazuna, not at all a strong drinker, hiccupped and laughed as she twirled. "Hey girls," she shouted over the music. "Did I tell you I think I was being stalked recently?"

That statement alone hit Korari like a ton of bricks. 'He was with us when Nazuna and I went out to dinner a couple nights ago. And I can remember seeing him every time I was with Nazuna before that…'

"Yeah, I was at the hair salon today and I couldn't help but feel like I was being watched. Creepy, eh?"

Tsubaki laughed. "Honey, I've been stalked since I was fourteen and have had about as many stalkers as I do shoes."

Nazuna and Tsubaki laughed. Korari did not.

"I think I found your stalker," Korari said.

"What?" Nazuna yelled. "I can't hear you!"

"I said-!" Korari shook her head and grabbed Tsubaki's and Nazuna's hands and dragged them to a more secluded, quieter place of the club. "I said I think I know who's stalking you."

Nazuna looked at her questioningly. "Really, who?"

Korari licked her dry lips. "Naraku, my boss. It all fits. He's always out with us when we have our usual get-togethers and sometimes he asks about what we're doing and being as naïve as I was, told him. Don't look, but he's to the right of the bar now."

Nazuna didn't look but she had to fight a strong impulse not to. Still not out of her drunk stupor, Nazuna shrugged and made her way to the dance floor as she continued dancing.

Tsubaki noticed how frightened Korari looked and held her arm, and pulled her back slightly, staying in the corner. "Do you think he'll cause her any harm?"

Korari looked at Tsubaki, taking her gaze off of Nazuna and shrugged. "My guess is as good as yours. From what I gathered he's not the impulsive type. He likes everything planned out for him. So, unless he knew Nazuna was going to get drunk and be here waiting…I sort of doubt it. Of course, I wouldn't keep Nazuna out of my eyesight and I think I should start recording all the times I've seen him."

Tsubaki nodded. "Probably a good idea. Notifying the police would be good too."

Looking back up to the bar to see her boss, Korari felt her heart jump to her throat when she found him missing, so to speak.

The rush of her heartbeat pounded in her ears and Korari grabbed Tsubaki's arm. "What in God's name is she doing? Nazuna!" Korari screamed.

Over the music, Nazuna couldn't hear as she made her way towards Naraku who leaned casually against the black wall. His gaze on her was smug and lighted with lust.

Nazuna had a plan already formed in her brain. First she was going to talk to him and then she was going to slap him and continue dancing the night away.

Both simple and realistic.

Sex on the Beach really did help you come up with great plans.

Naraku was now only an arms length away from her and before he could even open his mouth, Nazuna balled her hands into fists and planted them on her hips.

"Are you stalking me?"

Naraku smiled and raised a brow. "Am I?"

"I asked you first."

Naraku laughed and grabbed hold of Nazuna's wrists. She didn't move, didn't budge and when she felt her body being pulled close to his she merely closed her eyes and sighed.

"Are you stupid?"

Nazuna was jerked back and turned around, forced into looking at her close friend Korari. She laughed and shook her head, swaying slightly at the movement. "Oh, I'm never stupid K…K…you. I'm _always_ smart and balanced, just like Kellogg's Special K cereal. With the hint of vanilla, of course."

With the hint of absolutely bloody insane was more like it.

Korari tried to pull Nazuna away but it was no use. Nazuna clawed at her, making her cheeks and forehead bleed. Nazuna bit her, shooting fiery pain into her left hand and right arms. Nazuna pulled her head, officially cracking her neck in such a harsh way that she was almost driven to tears and also creating unbelievable pain in her scalp.

Tsubaki held onlookers at bay, glancing back and wincing when she saw what the drunken Nazuna was like: violent and uncontrollable. This was not looking good.

Finally, Korari let go of Nazuna and watched as she made her way back to Naraku who still leaned against the wall, smirking with that ugly curved mouth and dangerous sharp eyes.

Korari was positive she would be on that night, since she would most likely be fired at any second.

Running through the crowd and pushing back anyone that got in her way, Korari ran out of the building and pulled out her cell, dialling 911 within a second.

* * *

Tsubaki looked at the scene around her and thought about it with wide-eyes. 

The entire situation weighed down on her and Tsubaki didn't know if she'd be able to handle it. This wasn't supposed to be happening.

All of her life, she had had it fairly easy. She grew up in a wealthy home, getting everything she wanted and always having her way. She was always in control of situations and had the ability to change anything into a silver lining.

No matter how dark and stormy the cloud was there was always a silver lining, you just had to find it.

Tsubaki watched disgustedly as Nazuna made-out with Naraku and she felt her stomach heave.

She couldn't think and she needed to think.

Suddenly, Tsubaki did the only thing she could in situations like this.

She ran like hell.

* * *

Sango gave out a frustrated cry as she banged her head on her desk, feeling useless and pitiful. 

"Don't hit your head; you'll regret it one day."

Sango looked up with a wry look on her face and scowled. "Shut up pervert. I really don't need to be lectured right now. Not with a killer on the loose and nothing to do but sit and wait."

Miroku sighed and put his elbows on her desk, his chin resting on them. He sat in the visitors chair in her office, the only other office in the building since the rest of the officers all worked in the bullpen. "Where do you think Inuyasha and Kagome are?"

"God only knows where," she remarked dryly. "And with them I wonder if I really want to know –hey, you better stop smiling or I'm going to smash your face in, got it?"

Miroku visibly gulped, a small smile trying to be repressed. "You're a wicked woman Sango."

"You're a lecherous man Miroku."

"A match made in heaven," he said as he sighed in bliss.

The previous statement made Sango blush and in order to cover it up reached across her desk and punch him in the shoulder. "Don't be silly."

"I'm not!" Miroku protested. "Personally I think it's an amazing match. What do you think?" His face screamed innocence and his eyes screamed something so much more.

Whatever Sango had to say about that was quickly forgotten when Kouga rushed in, his eyes wide and alert and his body tense.

"What's the matter Kouga?" Sango asked, both relieved that she was out of the hot seat and disturbed to see that something else could be up.

"We just got a call from the other police department. Korari Takeda is at Sin Central right now and apparently Nazuna Orikasa is in trouble. She was shrieking about stalking and the killer from the past two weeks. They handled the situation but now they want us over there."

"Why?" Sango asked. "It's not our district and we're not supposed to interfere."

"Sheriff Ueda called and asked for the chief. Don't ask me why, I'm not part of the secret circle."

Ignoring the pointed statement directed towards her, Sango looked at Miroku thinking. She didn't know what it was about him but sometimes when she looked in his eyes, everything was so clear.

How corny did that sound?

Swearing to herself about both Miroku and the situation at hand, Sango shook her head and banged her fists on the desk. "Goddamn this shit," she hissed fiercely. "What time is it?"

Miroku looked on the wall in her desk, noticing that it was a digital clock and not analog. "It's quarter after eight in the morning."

Sango looked at him strangely. "Then why the hell are you here so early in the morning for?"

"Kagome's in a bad mood," Miroku said with a shrug. "She won't tell me but I have a sneaky suspicion it has something to do with Inuyasha. Not only that but you needed company. I know you purposely are working overtime in case something happens or comes to you and I know you have a job to do but I guess I feel I should be here."

Sango looked at Miroku with deep compassion, a wondering gaze burning in her milky brown eyes. She had the urge to say, 'now you tell me' or 'unfair' but held it all in. There would be time for them to talk later but right now, more important things were at hand.

Sango stood up and walked to the door. "Kouga, follow me and tell me all you know. Miroku, call the chief, now. We may have just stumbled on to something here."

* * *

_This is not going good. How could things have screwed up so badly?_

_Everything was going my way._

_I was winning._

_She was going to die… It was so perfect._

_Now she'll know. _

_Now she'll get it._

_I can't let this happen, I can't let them win._

_I can't let **her** live._

_Or the other one for that matter._

_If you want something done right you always have to do it yourself.

* * *

_

After Nazuna left the station the next morning, she crashed from about five a.m. to ten o'clock. Not exactly great sleep but she promised herself that she would try to have a nap despite the fact she never had them.

Once she was up, she was up.

Her head hurt like hell and she left all the lights in her house out, the light paining her more than anything. She got dressed and popped in several pills for her hangover and laid down on the couch in the living room, thinking things over.

She vaguely remembered things of the previous night. The dancing, the drinking and her little playtime with Naraku. Just shivering at the thought, Nazuna mentally kicked herself for doing such a thing. She really had been extremely drunk.

Now she had time to think things over. Naraku was being questioned at the station after Korari's statement and though Nazuna could now verify it, she hadn't been able to at the time. He wasn't being held though since nothing was done wrong and nothing could be proven but they were looking into it. Apparently, Korari said they would find something if they looked deeper. From the sounds of it, it wasn't good…for him.

She hadn't seen Tsubaki though, but apparently she called Korari telling her that she hadn't been able to handle it and went home. The police had given both her and Korari a ride home and Nazuna was thankful for it.

Then she starting thinking of all the things Korari told her in the past about Naraku and she was surprised to find out that she was able to connect everything to one source. That one source being the killer.

Nazuna gasped and lurched up, ignoring her headache and slipping on her runners and grabbing the keys. She had to tell the police… Maybe she was right about it!

The thought stopped her in her tracks and Nazuna thought about it for a moment longer, hoping that she was wrong. When she realized she wasn't, she continued.

Only to walk out the door and be met with total darkness and the chill of death.

* * *

_**Next Chapter: **Bad to Worse- Ami dropped her coffee, shattering the mug and spilling the hot liquid all over her legs. She didn't feel any pain though as she screamed in horror. And suddenly, it felt like a dream no more._

_**Please Review! The story is half over :(**_

**_P.S. If you haven't already, check out the HELP ME section on my profile about my new idea(s). Thank you!_**


	20. Bad to Worse

_**Disclaimer: Don't own him. Don't sue me. Thanks for all of the reviews!

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**_

_Chapter Nineteen: Bad to Worse

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Kagome awoke with a start.

The voices inside her mind screamed and wailed like being in the middle of four five-foot-tall speakers blasting music. Though it was painful, it had happened before and it was nothing unusual.

Kagome sat up in bed and raised the covers up to her neck, subconsciously raising a barrier around her body.

After a moment of silence in the room and an eternity of never-ending noise in her mind, Kagome tried to remember what woke her up in the first place.

Getting out of bed, Kagome checked the time that read eight-thirty. Hearing the sounds of footsteps in the kitchen, Kagome knew that Miroku was up, probably with coffee brewing. Her only mistake, she realized when she entered the kitchen, was that Miroku already had coffee in hand.

"Hey," Kagome called softly making Miroku look up. She was startled when she saw dark bags under her best friend's eyes and his face was deathly pale. "When did you get back last night?"

Miroku gave her a weak smile. "I got back around eleven last night and then I woke up around seven and went to the station. I just got back around ten minutes ago."

"Oh," Kagome said, not really knowing what else to say. "Has anything come to light yet?"

Miroku grunted and took another sip of the caffeine. "Three girls and a male from here are being held at the station in the next town. They were out clubbing last night or something like that. They got into trouble…the works."

Kagome sighed. "What's the big deal about that?"

"Don't know but I do know the sheriff there called this morning to make sure that Inuyasha and Sango went in for a brief 'chat.'"

"That sounds a bit unusual," Kagome concluded and then pouring a cup of coffee for herself, looked around the kitchen. She spotted the corner of her work desk in the doorway and suddenly the urge to create hit her. It didn't seem to be something she could control. Once when she was younger, Kagome was about to write about one hour a night before she went to bed. Now, as her stories got more complicated and detailed, she needed to make notes, profiles, twists…pre-determined sections that enabled her to focus more on the detail than the action itself since it was already set out for her.

"I'm going to go write," Kagome stated finally, grabbing her mug of the bitter liquid and heading towards her desk. When she got there, she thought a moment about writing at her desk but in the end decided that her room would be better. A place of salvation and isolation always helped her to write clearly.

"I'll be in my room. Only come in if necessary," Kagome called from her bedroom door and smiled when she only heard a grunt in response. Miroku was really having a bad day.

Sitting on her bed with the laptop in her lap, Kagome opened the document to her recent novel and read the last two paragraphs, getting back the feel of what she had written. She started off slow, words starting to come to her mind and eventually she got into a steady rhythm.

After half an hour, Kagome stopped and cursed, looking at the three and a half pages on Microsoft Word that she had written in that time. Highlighting the entire work, Kagome hesitated only a minute before pressing the backspace button and deleting it all.

She started once again, only after another twenty minutes, sighed when she realized she only wrote one paragraph. For some reason, she just couldn't get on with the story.

But the itch in her fingers continued and before Kagome could question what she was doing or making a conscious decision of it, she saved the little work she had done, exited out, and opened a brand new document.

A blank document.

Nothing came to mind and soon she stared out the small window her room provided. Outside was nothing but the grounds, a small shed surrounded by weeds and overgrown grass, dirt pathways and strong growing trees that stood in the background…

Kagome couldn't quite understand what she was doing. Suddenly, her mind went blank and she closed her eyes. Blue skies soared above her, not a single fluffy cloud in the sky and the sun was nowhere in sight. However it was bright out and long grass that ended at her waist surrounded her, teasing her as the wind blew them against her bare legs.

Her pyjamas were still on, the short shorts and the tank top hiding virtually nothing but she didn't care or feel at all self-conscious. She was at peace.

The lull continued that way for a while as she searched the grounds of her new reality. It was endless, the ground, the sky, the borderline of trees. Kagome didn't even dare try to walk through there, feeling that it was not in her right to do so.

Despite that fact though, Kagome seems to be unable to keep her eyes off it. It was so dark between the trees and a chill seeped into her bones as she studied it more closely.

"Kagome…"

Suddenly, the winds changed and blew at her with a ferocity she knew she couldn't match. The sky darkened and the trees were right beside her, looming over her as if to jump and hold her down.

"Kagome…"

A shadowy outline, a glimmer of what wasn't possible to be there flashed in her eyes.

"Kagome…"

_Get out._

For the second time that day, Kagome woke with a start.

Her legs burned and her feet tingled, her wrists cried pain and her back seemed so stiff it felt as though it would be impossible to move.

But she did move.

She removed the laptop off her legs and stood up to shake her body.

She knew what she had done.

It happened yet again.

The murderer had struck again.

* * *

It was like she was living a dream.

Ami woke up peacefully, her deep wise eyes showing as her lids fluttered and a light groan escaped.

She'd slept in.

It was the first thing Ami noticed when she pushed the covers off of her and looked at the blinds that didn't live up to its standards.

Strong piercing sunlight filtered through the cracks and streamed into the room making it as bright as it would've been with the lights turned on.

'It's probably around noon,' Ami thought. Which was weird; considering the fact she'd gotten no sleep in weeks.

It was as if a weight had been lifted off her shoulders. She didn't die.

A fatalist was something Ami had never been and even after the ordeal of feeling like each day would be her last, she never fell into step with that category.

She had taken sensible precautions each time she went to bed and recently had even considered getting a dog from the shelter. A yappy dog: the ones that would bark at the quietest sound.

But now, she felt no fear, no chill and no sense to run and hide.

She dressed in her usual baggy jeans and plain t-shirt, doing nothing to reveal the little curves she had. It was probably the reason why she'd been single for the past two years ad even if a guy did come up to her, her attitude would hold them at bay. Ami had always been a shy, a girl that had lots to say but never spoke. Some of her past teachers had thought she was mute.

Now, as Ami walked out of the bedroom and into the small kitchenette her apartment held, she felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand on edge. She felt a sense of pain, loss and an utter feel of loneliness and inescapable cold.

Making coffee that had been set ahead of time, Ami quickly made it and ran back to her room to grab her shoes that she had carelessly tossed the night before after getting back from her late shift.

Her cupboards were still fairly empty so Ami decided to have lunch at some restaurant in Trite.

It wasn't until Ami got to the door though that she realized she wouldn't be eating.

Ami dropped her coffee, shattering the mug and spilling the hot liquid all over her legs. She didn't feel any pain though as she screamed in horror.

And suddenly, it felt like a dream no more.

* * *

Inuyasha and Sango remained –somewhat- patiently as they waited for Sheriff Hojo Ueda to talk to them. To say the least, the two were surprised when a scrawny man with sandy brown hair and light blue eyes walked in. Neither of them had met him before and both did a slight double-take at his appearance.

All uniform, the man approached them and sat down at his desk, flipping open a notebook and staring at the two with a small smile. "I'm very sorry to call you in like this but I didn't think I had a choice really. I thought you should be aware and since we both live in such small towns we can bend the rules."

"Okay," Inuyasha said slowly, giving Sango a sideways glance. "What's this information that's so important?"

"Naraku Morikawa doesn't exist."

The four words the sheriff said were blunt and quiet but Inuyasha leaned forward and put his hands on the desk. "Excuse me?"

"Exactly what I had said chief," Ueda said. "The one you see as Naraku is actually a man named Onigumo Egawa. DUI, robbery, stalking, assault, harassment and murder. He changed his name to Naraku Morikawa for a clean record. We're looking into it some more because he assaulted on our grounds."

Inuyasha nodded and swore. "If it's alright with you, can we talk to him a little later on?"

"For the murders?" Ueda asked grimly.

"For the murders," Inuyasha confirmed.

* * *

Kagome let out a shaky breath and shut down her computer, immediately picking up her cell phone and dialling.

"_What?"_

Once again, his harsh voice filled her ears and Kagome suddenly felt all too small. He was still mad about what happened. Kagome didn't know whether to cry or scream. They had _both_ come up with it and they had _both _agreed. It wasn't her fault but she couldn't deal with that now.

"It's happened," she whispered into the phone, angry with herself for not sounding stronger. But she was scared and she felt so alone.

"_What happened Kagome?"_ She could hear his voice soften and she must have sounded extremely pitiful for him to try and sooth her.

"She's dead and this time, she's dragged in another to suffer."

Inuyasha didn't speak and Kagome started to worry. "Inuyasha? Are you there?"

"_Yes, I'm coming to get you."_

"No, you have to go-"

"_Sango can go, I'm getting you. Is Miroku with you?"_

"I…I don't know. I think I heard the front door open and shut but I could be wrong. He was dead tired and a little sad looking. He might have gone for a drive."

"_Alright, first check if he's there. Don't go outside, lock your doors and close the blinds. Be careful, please."_

"I have double locks on all my doors and windows and I have a security system," Kagome said. She knew he was going to question her about that since it was a bit excessive but he didn't.

"_I'll be there in five."_

Kagome got out of bed, her laptop in her hands as she walked out of the room. "Miroku?" she called but got no answer. Putting the laptop down on her desk, Kagome got to work on locking the few doors and windows that were unlocked.

When everything was done she lifted one of the blinds and looked out the window that gave a view of the driveway. Her car was gone.

Since Kagome and Miroku had always shared a ride, it wasn't so surprising but Kagome wondered why he'd left. He would only leave if it was to get something and Miroku wouldn't leave her if it wasn't important.

Running back to her room and getting her cell, she dialled Miroku's number and waited patiently.

"_Hey Kagome," _Miroku said, his tired voice reaching her ears. _"What's up?"_

"There's been another death," Kagome said, somewhat shakily. "Where are you?"

"_Another…who is it?"_

"Where are you?" Kagome repeated, not answering the question.

Miroku sighed. _"Jinenji called. He wants to know why I gave you the break and he needs some papers I have. I didn't tell you because you were writing and I hate disturbing you. I would've told you though if I knew it'd take this long. Traffic's a bitch."_

"How long?"

"_Maybe an hour or so," _Miroku said sadly. _"Call Sango or Inuyasha. I don't like you being alone in the house."_

"Already done," Kagome told him. "I…did it again Miroku. I wrote another story."

"_How long?"_ It was Miroku's turn to ask.

"Six hundred pages exact."

"_Jesus."_

When the sound of a truck pulling into her driveway reached her, Kagome checked to see that Inuyasha was coming out, his gun on his hip holster. Saying goodbye to Miroku, Kagome ran out of the house and locked the doors from the outside. The first thing she said to him though was not a greeting but a question. She seemed to be full of them lately.

"Who is it?"

Inuyasha seemed to struggle for a bit but then sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "It's Nazuna and you were right, someone else was dragged in. Nazuna was found in a woman named Ami Dai's apartment."

Kagome nodded and followed him to the car.

"How did you know all that? How do you know everything about the murders?"

"The voices," Kagome answered automatically. "They tell me."

"Somehow, I doubt that."

Kagome's smiled twisted but she said no more and Inuyasha didn't push her.

"Sango is up there now but can't get near the apartment door. Apparently Ami has lost it and freaks out when any one of them get near her. She broke Hiten's nose and almost bashed Ayame's head in with the metal bar that she used to hang up her towels or something like that."

"Let me see her," Kagome demanded softly.

"And let you get killed? No, I already have too many deaths on my conscious."

"It's not your fault Inuyasha," Kagome said, her voice firm. "He doesn't want you to find him, not yet anyways."

"Not yet?"

Kagome mentally kicked herself for letting that slip. She couldn't let him know, fate always had a way of twisting things around. Fortunately, she was saved when they got into the parking lot of the apartment building, police surrounding and blocking off the area.

Reporters flashed their cameras and Kagome ducked in the seat, hiding from them but realized that she was slightly too late. Cursing, Kagome sat back up when they reached the side of the building and she got out.

"Crap," she muttered. "Tomorrow I'll be the front page cover of Trite's _Weekly_. Just peachy."

Ignoring her sarcasm, Inuyasha continued to walk up the stairs to Ami's apartment, on the fourth level 18D. When they got to the door, Sango turned around and sighed. "Chief, she won't let us near her. We've been trying to coax her, sooth her but she's going into a panic."

"Where is she?" Kagome asked and before Inuyasha could intervene, Sango answered.

"Last place I saw her was in the far right corner of the room. She's rocking and clinging onto some bar. I think she got it from the bathroom."

Kagome nodded and walked through the door. It was then that she saw the body but pushing herself through the voices she continued on to the girl that was rocking herself in a fetal position.

"Kagome, get back here goddammit!"

She disregarded Inuyasha's cursing from the door and thought he was going to follow her. If he was going to, she only had a minute or so.

"Ami?" Kagome asked softly, her voice nothing more than a lull.

"Go _away_," Ami whispered; the sound part of a groan and a mix of anguish and insanity. "I don't want to die."

Kagome tilted her head and stopped, looking at the woman in the dark room. She was small, her figure barely there and the saying "you're so thin you'd disappear if you turned around" applying all too well. Fair hair, pale complexion…

"Why do you want to live?" Kagome asked cautiously, being smart about the questions asked. A question like, "who's going to kill you?" or "I'm not going to hurt you" was about as smart as sticking your head in a shark's mouth. It would only frighten them further and said them into a deeper and more emotional frenzy.

For a while, Ami didn't answer. Kagome waited patiently, not moving but keeping her eyes focused on the girl. Suddenly, the bar dropped and Ami's head shot up, her eyes open and the brown intensity of her own against Kagome's was fierce.

"I like it… I guess; it's all I really have. It's not much but I want it."

Kagome smiled and bent down to her knees. Holding her hand out, Kagome watched as Ami instantly put her hand to hers. It was then that Kagome felt the impact against her body as Ami clung to her, sobs racking out and hands grabbing her t-shirt.

"I don't…want to die…" Ami said between sobs and Kagome stroked her back, hushing her and murmuring words of sweet encouragement.

"I know Ami, I know."

When Hachi finally came and Ami was taken out of the building, Kagome shifted from foot to foot. "As long as the sedatives keep Ami asleep then we should be good. She doesn't want me to leave her though so we have to make this quick."

"Forensics will go over this place with a fine tooth comb," Inuyasha reassured. "And Hachi is working right now. We're doing all we can."

Kagome nodded and subconsciously thumbed the jewel that hung at her neck. Her head shot up. "She has a jewel shard too," Kagome said, swallowing down the wave of nausea that hit her.

"Where?" Inuyasha asked. "Tell me where Kagome."

It was then that Hachi pulled off the handkerchief that the killer left on Nazuna's face and he cursed, looking into the now empty eye sockets of where her brown eyes once were. "Found it."

* * *

_**Next Chapter: **Too Close- She was falling too deep. "Kagome, back up. Get out," Inuyasha ordered. "Screw off," Kagome said flippantly. "You've hurt me enough. I hate how you treat me and how you hate me on something we both agreed on."_


	21. Too Close

_**Disclaimer: Don't own him. Don't sue me. Thanks for the reviews!

* * *

**_

_Chapter Twenty: Too Close

* * *

_

If Kagome hadn't already known what the body of Nazuna Orikasa had looked like, she probably would've thrown up most of the day. But she did know and only managed to throw up five times.

Sango though, wasn't so lucky and Inuyasha even tossed in a couple.

Pleasant as it was, the group had to stand by as Hachi gave a preliminary. You could barely recognize the girl known as Nazuna.

Brown locks scattered on the floor like a fan and skin about as white as fallen snow, she almost didn't look real. It couldn't have helped either that her eyes were carved out, professionally and without too much mess. It was as if the killer took special care in its doing.

Hachi suppressed a grimace as he looked at the sick-to-their-stomach group. "Well the cause of death was a blow to the head. Here, at the back of her skull and I'd say it was done with a baseball bat. I'll be able to determine what kind later on. She's been brutally beaten, injuries at every inch of her body: her feet with a couple fractured toes, her legs with swelling and blood that has rushed to the muscle, her stomach is particularly bad but her chest and arms are no exception. Her face and neck however, is untouched other than the fatal blow."

Inuyasha frowned, looking a little pale. "So she was beaten and then killed?"

Hachi thought for a minute as he examined the body and Inuyasha almost gave up on the answer when it finally came. "No. The bruises were post-mortem, as well as the carving of the eyes."

"And then the jewel shard was put there in the hollow sockets. What I don't get though," Sango said, her face looking at Inuyasha and purposely not at the body, "is that a cloth was put over her face."

"Maybe to give a bigger surprise?" Inuyasha suggested.

"No," Kagome said. "The cloth was put on before the eyes were taken out and before she was beaten."

Inuyasha eyed her but said nothing, saving it for later. "So the cloth was put there because…the killer knew her?"

"As good as a guess as any," Kagome stated. "I'd bet on that though. With a cloth over Nazuna's face, the killer wouldn't have to see who they were killing. It kept them focused. I think our killer is starting to waver."

Sango nodded. "I agree. Perhaps it was a test he gave himself? A step up or more of a challenge then killing people he didn't really know."

"All viable possibilities," Inuyasha concluded. "This time we should do a deeper search of friends and family; possibly try to connect some with the other victims. I also want to revisit the people we've already talked to. Hopefully they'll add something they missed before."

Inuyasha nodded to Hachi who wrapped the body up and both him and Sango were about to leave when Kagome started to whisper.

"You're forgetting one more thing," Kagome hissed, her voice darker and deeper than usual. It was still feminine but slightly different, more hushed, more of a monotone. "You left out the final equation: Ami."

Inuyasha walked back to Kagome and put his hands on her shoulders. "Talk to me Kagome, don't go too deep. Why did the killer bring Ami into this?"

"She was already in it," Kagome whispered, tilting her head slightly to the right as if hearing sounds from a faraway place. "She was in it from the very beginning."

"How?"

"The universe doesn't take kindly to those that take more than they can give. You're crossing that line Inuyasha. Don't cross the line."

A shiver ran up and down his spine but he pressed on. "How?"

"Ask too many questions that specific and you may just get your answer, in a way that may kill you."

Inuyasha blinked and looked at Kagome's oddly distant glare. Her eyes were glazed over and the brown in her eyes was almost gone. "What _can_ you tell me?"

"Everything and anything, as long as you don't ask."

Sango turned to look at Inuyasha and Kagome. "If Ami was in this from the beginning, was Nazuna?"

Kagome smiled wickedly and laughed brutally. "No, Nazuna was never supposed to be in the equation. She was…an addition that threw everything off."

"And Ami?" Sango pressed on.

"Ami had to suffer," Kagome whispered harshly. "She deserved to die, she was _supposed_ to die. And then she got in the way."

"Assuming Nazuna is 'she,'" Inuyasha told Sango. "What did Nazuna do to freak out the killer? Did she find out something?"

"She died for what she knew. She was punished for her knowledge and suffered for it too." Kagome's wicked smile was back and as Inuyasha studied her face, he noticed her eyes glazed over more, her brown eyes were now completely black and it contrasted to the white around it. She was falling too deep.

"Kagome, back up. Get out," Inuyasha ordered.

"Screw off," Kagome said flippantly. "You've hurt me enough. I hate how you treat me and how you hate _me_ on something we both agreed on."

The deep voice was still there and Inuyasha knew that it wasn't Kagome talking. And yet, he was almost positive the words rang true. It wasn't Kagome speaking, it was her _mind_, her _soul_.

"_Things screwed up so badly_…you hurt me Inuyasha…_I was winning, I would've killed her_...I'll never finish…_I would've killed them all_…get away I didn't kill her…_she's just going to have to die_."

"Goddammit Kagome, stop!" Inuyasha cursed and suddenly, she blinked.

"Hmm?" Kagome murmured; her voice foggy and raw. It was as if she hadn't spoken in a long while and it was the first time in months that she had the ability to. It was scary to witness and even scarier to live.

"Sango, get her out of here please," Inuyasha ordered somewhat briskly and warily the second-in-command officer did as she was told.

Kagome didn't fight or offer any comments to stay behind. She was confused and overwhelmed. There was just so much to think about: why she kept bringing up the subject of her and Inuyasha's choice, the stories that she hid from them, the constant hurry-up reminder from her imaginary friend and the murders.

She was going to need years of therapy after this.

After her and Sango left the room, Inuyasha stood and watched as Hachi and his assistant took the body out of the room and waited in silence. He wasn't really sure of what to do next. Though neither of them knew it, they were both thinking along the same lines. Everything between them, the murders, the talk… All of it was a constant factor of how things worked out and Inuyasha wasn't all that sure that he knew what he was doing.

Control was something he knew he was losing and losing fast. Inuyasha just hoped he'd have enough of it by the end of it to catch this killer. And make him pay.

"Chief?"

Inuyasha turned around casually and looked over to see Kouga, standing at the doorway of Ami's apartment. "Oh, hey," Inuyasha said fairly indifferent.

"You okay?" Kouga asked, walking up to him and giving him a questioning glance.

It was then that Inuyasha became extremely afraid. "Who the hell are you?" he asked in all sincerity. "Because you sure as hell aren't Kouga Matsuno."

Laughing -albeit shortly- Kouga shook his head. "I'm not that bad, am I?"

"Do you hear half the things you say?" Inuyasha snorted and scowled. "Anyways, I'm about as okay as any guy that's dealing with a serial killer."

"Three's the charm, huh?"

From the look Inuyasha shot Kouga, he knew that he was playing with dangerously. Like a child experimenting with matches in a room filled with gasoline.

Finally, Inuyasha just shrugged. "Yeah, I guess."

"What do you think about Kagome's input on all of this?" Kouga asked suddenly, not looking at the chief while doing so.

Flabbergasted to the point that he didn't know if he could speak, Inuyasha once again shrugged. "I'm not really sure," he said after he found the words. "She's one hell of a woman."

Kouga smirked. "I'll bet. I wonder how long you guys will last."

"What do you mean? We're not together Matsuno; I don't mix business with pleasure."

"It's not pleasure you're after chief, I think it's commitment. As much as I'd like to have her, she literally already yours. And don't start growling at me because you know I'm right. It's been like that from the beginning. Call it fate."

Inuyasha gave Kouga a sardonic glance and smirked despite himself. "I didn't know you were into fate and stuff like that Matsuno."

It was a while before Kouga answered and when he did, Inuyasha didn't know whether to shoot Kouga or himself for all the truth in it. "I'm not but I do know that the inevitable is pretty hard to change and once something is already there, it's pretty hard to take away."

"We're talking about me and a woman who would castrate me if I didn't amuse her every five minutes."

Kouga immediately grimaced. "Well, it's like that old saying: Hell has no fury like love to hatred turned or heaven like a woman scorned."

"I think you've read a few too many fortune cookies."

"Perhaps but that doesn't stop me from being right."

When Kouga walked away, Inuyasha stood there all alone, looking after him thinking just how much he was undoubtedly right.

* * *

"Kagome, shit, are you okay?" Miroku asked as he stepped out of the door to the house that they shared. "I would never have left if I knew…I didn't want…"

Kagome managed a weak smile and shook her head. "It's not your fault Miroku. Stop beating yourself up about it, please."

Miroku seemed to hesitate before sighing explosively and turning away to look at the insides of the shrine, the door still open. "But still," he murmured, shaking his head and purposely not looking at her. "How thick is the tension?"

"Considering the fact that this guy is now officially a serial killer and three women have been brutally murdered and we have shit for leads, it's pretty tense." Kagome shrugged. "I'm going to show him."

This time, he did look at her. "What?"

"It's time they read it, the stories," Kagome said firmly, frowning. "It's funny how my mind so easily made that decision now."

"And before you had mixed feelings?" Miroku asked. "I still don't get-"

"Don't," Kagome warned. "I can't explain it and I'm going to have enough trouble with Inuyasha as it is."

The two started to walk into the shrine, both of them edgy of the other. Kagome had returned to her house because Inuyasha had called a press conference that night and Sango was talking to family and friends of Nazuna Orikasa. "Is something going on between you two?" Miroku asked curiously, a frown appearing on his face. "You guys haven't exactly been friendly lately and even Sango's noticed it though she's about as clueless as me for the reason."

Once again, Kagome shrugged. "Nothing happened."

"But, weren't you…together, sort of? I mean…it looked like it and they way you looked at him was clear enough but now? You two seem to be having some sort of silent war."

Kagome laughed bitterly, speaking painfully as each mournful word made its way out. "Distraction is not what you need when you're trying to solve murders. I have too much baggage and Inuyasha has too much stress. It would never have worked and we're both realistic enough to see that."

Kagome walked on, leaving Miroku to stand there. He watched her as she entered her bedroom and vaguely hearing the sound of Kagome's sobbing, the weight and pressure of it all too much. He listened as she threw what he thought were a couple of books, clothes and random objects of decoration at the walls. Miroku heard the sound of her punching her pillow, almost inaudible groans and shrieks of anger leaving her after she threw a punch with all her energy.

But for the life of him, Miroku couldn't understand what the hell Kagome just told him. Kagome didn't give up. Never.

And now she was just going to let the only guy she's ever let into her life long enough to fall in love with _walk away_?

Hell no, not if he could stop it.

* * *

The next morning, Kagome, Kagura and Sesshomaru sat in the conference room.

"Our guy might have been a serial killer from the beginning," Sesshomaru stated as he handed Kagome a chart comparing the murders of 2001 when Kikyo, Rin, Faye and Koharu were murdered to the murders of 2006 where so far, Yuri, Kirara and Nazuna have been murdered.

"We matched the M.O and paired each victim," Kagura continued on, "with one from the past or present. We took into consideration what you said, how each of the victims were killed: hair, eyes, personality and finally the trigger or what is the main representative. Since we only have normal photos of Rin Noto, Koharu Irvin, Yuri Wadena and Kirara Nekomata we can't exactly study further to do research."

"What about the shots taken at the morgue?" Kagome asked. "Surely you'd have those."

Sesshomaru shook his head. "Kikyo Hidaka didn't have any family and mostly kept to herself. We're trying to dig up a picture of her, from her old schools and such. Faye Richards though, as you said, was killed for her eyes. The acid the killer used to burn them out did a number on her face, completely mutilating it so we're trying to get one as well. Officer Kakazu is doing that for us."

"Is Ayame also getting a picture of Nazuna?" Kagome asked.

"No, Sango is," Kagura confirmed. "I feel bad for her, talking to the entire family and friends. It must be hard."

"But no one is better."

Turning around, the group saw Inuyasha come in with Miroku following behind. "Any news?"

Kagura informed Inuyasha of everything they had told Kagome and Inuyasha sent Kouga to get a board and whatever pictures they had to put them up.

"Do you think this could bring us to our final victim?" Inuyasha asked.

"Well, I think we've established that so far this year, our victims have been killed for hair, personality and now eyes. The final should be the trigger or what is really causing all the turmoil within our guy," Sesshomaru said.

"What about the jewel?" Kagome asked. "Can I see the pieces?"

Waiting for Inuyasha to bring the jewel, Kagome studied it when it finally came to her. "From what I can tell," Kagome said, holding her half of the jewel around her neck, "each piece is an eighth. So far, we have seven-eighths of the jewel."

"So then this really could be the reason for all the killings, this year and the year before. It all boils down to this," Miroku said. "Once every five years, the killer will murder four women, once per seven days."

"What I really want to know," Inuyasha said, "is two things. One: how does the killer have the second half of Kagome's jewel when the other half is with her mother? And two: how the _hell_ did you know about this Kagome? How did you know?"

"I already told you," Kagome whispered harshly, venom in each word.

"Oh, that's right, the voices. Hmm, too bad that helps me zip. How do I know Kagome? How do I really know you're not the killer?"

"You were with me the night Kirara was murdered," Kagome spat, each word getting louder as her temper started to rise. She couldn't believe he was doing this.

"Then how do I know you're not an accomplice? Explain that Kagome."

Inuyasha's eyes dared her and Kagome didn't back down, her own chocolate gaze fierce. "Fine, you want to know, I'll let you know. We're going to my place and then, after you're done, we're going to take a little Goddamn visit through my mind. How's that? Maybe then, just once, you'll trust me since I wasn't trusted enough by you to love me, even without my baggage."

* * *

"I can't believe it," Tsubaki breathed between sobs. "She's gone; I should've stayed with her. I shouldn't have left the club that night!"

Sango reached across the table for Tsubaki's hand and held it. She did her best to calm Tsubaki down and when Tsubaki's sobs were just painful whimpers, Sango continued.

"Why did you leave?"

"I was scared," Tsubaki admitted, looking down at her hands that were in tight fists. "With what happened with Naraku and everything…I couldn't handle it. I ran. And Nazuna paid the price."

Tsubaki grabbed Sango's shirt tightly and buried her face within it, sobs once more wracking the girl's body, and both sorry and hurting, Sango rubbed her back.

Being a police officer was one shitty job during times like this. Information was needed ASAP but families and friends still needed to grieve. Taking information out of them was cruel and though Sango knew she did it slowly and comfortingly, she would never be able to stop the pain the people felt.

Nazuna's parents, her college friends, neighbours, Shippo, Korari and now Tsubaki all held pain and sorrow.

"Now I won't be able to go on that trip we planned together for my birthday!" Tsubaki wailed. "We were going to have so much…f-fun."

"And when's your birthday?" Sango asked gently, rocking the girl.

"A-April seventh, it was for my twenty-ninth birthday."

Tsubaki burst into more tears and an hour later, Sango let her go, feeling drained and angry. And she had the perfect person to vent it all on: Naraku.

When he entered the room there was just something about him that made her shiver but Sango didn't think about it. She just thought about all the pain, suffering and hate. "Did you kill Nazuna Orikasa?" Sango spat out, glaring at Naraku angrily as he smiled.

"You're the cop, why don't you tell me?"

Growling, Sango walked straight up to him and met her eyes with his. "I don't have time for your half-ass witted games. I want answers and I want them _now_. I am not in the mood and I swear if you make one more comment like that I'll kill you."

Naraku stared at her for the longest time, the smile never leaving his face. Other than his smile, nothing on his face gave him away. His eyes were heavy but intoxicating, so much so that it was difficult to read emotion. Sango had become so focused on trying to read Naraku that she was startled when he gave her an answer.

* * *

Miroku looked out the door as she watched Kagome drive away in her car with Inuyasha in the passenger seat, both of them looking pissed. If he made a bet though, Miroku was sure to bet on Kagome. Not because she was his friend, but because she was in such a bad mood that he swore he saw the flames of Hell in her eyes.

Scary but for Kagome it was just damn terrifying.

And it was then that he noticed a piece of paper sticking out from under the welcome mat to the station.

* * *

**_Sorry guys about the last update. Things have been busy but because I'm in such a good mood today I decided to finally update. _**

**_Why am I in a good mood? Easy: It's my birthday tomorrow (FINALLY 15) and my boyfriend (of 3 days) is the greatest lmfaoo!_**

_**Next Chapter: **Confession- Kagome screamed, "No! Not until you see. You want to know the truth, the truth about how I know and the truth about my past then you're going to see. Hurt and all, you bastard, you are going to see."_


	22. Confession

_**Disclaimer: Don't own him. Don't sue me. Thanks for all of the reviews! You guys are the best!

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**_

_Chapter Twenty-One: Confession

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_

Kagome drove thirty above the speed limit, passing cars every couple seconds with a grim look on her face. Inuyasha had glared at her, ordered her to slow down but she did nothing but curse him.

She told him that if he wanted to give her a ticket, then he would have to goddamn wait.

Inuyasha had said nothing more.

Still angered minutes later, Inuyasha fumed silently, repeatedly thinking of an argument in his head with Kagome. He could practically predict what she would say. Her voice sharp and piecing, the flippant tone made to push him over the edge or back off.

Finally deciding that Kagome had enough time to dwell, Inuyasha turned in his seat to face her, his features strong and determined. "Did you know that your face was posted on the front page on every newspaper this morning? You're bloody famous! The 'newcomer helps police in desperate attempt to solve murders' and 'to redeem herself.' Please, explain to me why you need to redeem yourself?"

Kagome smirked. "You'll find out soon."

"Goddammit Kagome, try listening to yourself and then tell me why I shouldn't suspect you of murder."

"If you don't trust me, then why did you get in the car with me? For all you know I could be taking you to some abandoned warehouse on the far outskirts of town, threaten you and maim you and at last get rid of you."

Inuyasha scowled.

"And you said it yourself; I don't have the physical _or_ psychological strength to murder someone as brutally and coldly as that."

"You're an accomplice then."

"Uh-huh. Oh, I'm so busted," Kagome spat, rolling her eyes and then laughing sardonically. "Can you see me shaking?"

"Dammit Kagome, pull over now!"

Kagome screamed, "No! Not until you see. You want to know the truth, the truth about how I know and the truth about my past then you're going to see. Hurt and all, you bastard, you are going to see."

* * *

"How are you feeling?" 

_Shitty, thanks. _"Fine." _You?_

"That's good. You seem to be doing better. Are you still finding it hard to fall asleep?"

_Not really. _"A bit, I guess." _It only takes me four hours now, instead of the six._

Dr. Shiori Bouma sighed and gave a wan smile. "I'm very sorry Ms. Dai, for everything. You are suffering from some deep head trauma. Physically you are fine but mentally I fear. We're arranging for a psychologist to come and help you every couple days. Would that be alright Ms. Dai? We're only doing what we think is best."

Ami didn't say anything and for a long time just looked out the window that her small hospital room provided. She just sat there and Dr. Bouma waited patiently for an answer.

"Sure," Ami said nonchalantly. "Do whatever you want."

Dr. Bouma nodded and left the room, leaving Ami all alone for the fourth time that day.

Ami didn't know what to think. Every time she closed her eyes, the scarring image of Nazuna's mangled body would appear, forcing her to fall asleep only when her body was too exhausted to keep going.

Looking around the room that she had all to herself, the frail woman let out a shaky breath and snuggled down into the hospital bed, trying to get some sleep while it was daylight. It seemed easier for her that way than trying to sleep in the dark.

And then it happened. Her eyes clouded over and colours seemed to fly around her. It was a long, agonizing moment before she could truly see again and what she saw was something she couldn't comprehend.

* * *

Sango stared at Naraku for a long moment, taking it all in. 

"Surprised Ms. Houko? Well now, I shouldn't keep you in the shadows. I did it. I killed them. I killed Yuri Wadena, Kirara Nekomata and Nazuna Orikasa."

Sango was still speechless.

Naraku laughed, closing his eyes and leaning back in his chair, watching the flabbergasted police officer look at him like a goldfish in a bowl. "Is it really hard for you to believe? Who do you think was the one that tried to shoot your beloved Chief the night that he touched Nazuna? No one touches Nazuna. She's mine."

Sango finally managed to get herself together, her stomach muscles clenching in pain as she remember the faces of the three that were murdered. "You sick bastard," she cursed, glaring at him. "You stalked Nazuna but why did you kill her? Why did you kill the others?"

"Because they looked so much like Kikyo, the bitch. After she dumped me, I got pissed off. I'll admit, I lost control and killed her. It wasn't difficult; she was just so easy to snap."

Sango nodded grimly. It made sense to what they were thinking about. The reason he was killing them. Kikyo was the trigger, and the rest were all just reminders. Naraku fit the profile being male and he was just a couple years over the approximate age being thirty-seven. He was definitely strong and Sango didn't doubt he had the ability to kill someone without remorse.

Sango continued to question him and Naraku willingly admit everything. When all the questions were asked, Sango finally turned to leave the room, blinking rapidly to hold back tears. It was then that her final question came to mind and she turned to face him, angry and tired. "Why?"

Naraku didn't seem to get it. "Why what?"

"Why did you confess?" Sango asked, squinting her eyes as if in doing so she could maybe see a tail and horns to help convince her mind. Yes, he confessed. Yes, it all fit. No, she didn't feel better, something she thought she would feel.

Of course, the death of her best friend and two other women who she knew could always dampen the mood.

"Because I've already finished my job. They're all dead and I'm satisfied at last."

* * *

Miroku walked into the conference room, harshly looking at a folded piece of paper that he held with gloves he managed to get unquestionably from said room. Kagura Ohgami and Sesshomaru Taisho both looked at him, brows knitting in confusion. 

"What's that?" Kagura asked, standing up from her chair and grabbing her own pair of gloves before taking it from the civilian's hands.

"A note," Miroku said. "From who we believe is the killer."

"Just peachy," Kagura stated dryly and shook her head. "Hopefully this one will give us more information than the last two."

Opening it, she read the lines and frowned. Unsure, she read it a couple more times before sitting back down and making a confused sound.

"Kagura, what is it?" Sesshomaru asked, looking at her intently with golden eyes.

"It's screwed up, that's what it is," Kagura sighed. Passing the note to her partner, she waited for him to read it.

**Are you ready?**

**The big finale is all prepared.**

**You think you've got it all figured out.**

**You think you have me.**

**But it's just part of my plan.**

**When two more suns by love's place.**

**Evil isn't just closer than you think it is.**

**It's already there.**

**Are you ready?**

"It's a tad bit more personal, don't you think?" Kagura asked. "It's longer and looks more painful. The killer is angry. Very angry."

"'The big finale' so that means he'll kill again. 'Princess' refers to the one he wants to kill, meaning the next victim is definitely female," Sesshomaru said, ignoring Miroku who was looking over his shoulder. "But I don't get this 'when two more suns by love's place' part. It makes no sense."

"And clearly the next victim doesn't understand the reason any more than we do so that scratches out the possibility that it's a cat-and-mouse game," Miroku said slowly. "Can't we ever just get a break?"

Just then, Sango walked in, her face flushed and a photo in her hand. "Here's a picture of Nazuna," she said quietly, avoiding the group's gazes. Miroku frowned at it but said nothing, realizing that she would tell him on her own time.

Sesshomaru took it and studied it, his face slowly making its way into a scowl. "So if we compare these photos, we might be able to get an image of the final victim before he strikes."

Sango then smiled, albeit quickly and shook her head. "Not if we've already caught him."

"What?!" Miroku exclaimed. "You've figured it out?"

Again the deputy shook her head. "Naraku Morikawa confessed. He murdered Yuri, Kirara and Nazuna."

"Why?" Kagura asked.

"You were right when you said Kikyo could be the trigger. Apparently, the two went out. She dumped him and he lost it. Everyone else just reminded him of her."

"Makes perfect sense," Miroku concluded. Sesshomaru, who sat beside him, said nothing.

Sango asked, "Then why doesn't it feel right? I thought I'd at least feel relieved."

"Well, with everything that's happened…" Miroku didn't need to continue on, the rest of the group already able to finish his sentence on their own behalf. "What about that girl Ami though? Why did he put Nazuna's mangled body in her apartment? That's still doesn't make any sense to me."

"I don't know," Sango confessed. "Naraku wants a lawyer and Inuyasha turned off his cell phone so I can't reach him."

"What possessed him to do that?" Sesshomaru asked; his voice plain. "He may be an absolute fool but he isn't that stupid. Of course, he always manages to prove me wrong."

"You, the great Sesshomaru, wrong?" Kagura joked, rolling her eyes. "That's a first. I wonder how he does it."

Sesshomaru seemed to ignore that comment.

"What about Kagome?" Miroku asked. "She took off with him? Did you try her cell?"

Sango nodded. "Yeah, I did. Same thing. They could be dead though. Inuyasha has a tendency to always leave charging his phone until the last minute. But in his defence, we never had something like this happen in Trite."

"But Kagome's cell is always on, regardless. And I'm a bit more than reluctant to believe that hers is dead as well. That's just too much of a coincidence for me," Miroku stated. "I wonder what's happening."

Sango shrugged and then looked around the conference room, seeing photos of Rin Noto, Koharu Irvin, Yuri Wadena, Kirara Nekomata and now, Nazuna Orikasa. Sesshomaru had just put the picture up.

It was set up in two rows. On the top row were Rin and Koharu, underneath Rin was a picture of Kirara and under Koharu was a picture of Yuri.

Rin's picture was beautiful, a colour photo obviously taken by a professional. She wore a yellow dress, her long black wavy locks put up into a bun with a white daisy buried in her hair. She lay in a meadow of some sort with wild flowers spread around her.

Sesshomaru, who noticed Sango's gaze, looked at the picture briefly. "A friend of mine got married and we were invited to the wedding. Instead of letting that dress only be worn once, I hired a photographer to come and take pictures. Rin always wanted to be a photographer so we literally had to force her to pose, promising that she would be allowed a couple shots." A small smile showed on his face and Sango bit her thumbnail nervously.

Instead of commenting, knowing that it would do nothing, she just shifted her gaze to Koharu's picture. Koharu was one of those women who wasn't exactly pretty but had something about them to make their face always memorable. That feature was her long black hair that was just slightly longer than waist-length. It had some untameable edge to it and though it was straight, it had a rough, just-got-out-of-bed look. She had startling blue eyes and a large up-to-the-ears smile.

Next was Yuri, an above height girl that looked that she belonged as a model rather than an office worker. The photo of her was plain and simple, a shot just taken out of the blue but just managed to capture her beauty. It was startling to Sango though that when she compared Yuri's hair to Koharu's that it was as if it was taken off one of them and put on the other. The long black locks were so similar that if you didn't pay any attention to the face, you'd think it was the same person.

Kirara's photo was one that brought tears to the deputy's eyes. It was a picture of the blonde haired-blue eyed girl when it was her twenty-eighth birthday party. The owner of the café let her have a day off work and Sango herself, along with Kirara's family set up the place to look decorative. It was a surprise and when Shippo led Kirara in, Sango would never forget the huge smile that lit up her face and the way that she squealed so loud Sango thought it would break glass. The picture was taken just after she screamed and it was just so in the moment.

Nazuna's picture was one that her parents found buried. Nazuna hadn't been one for pictures, unless it was with friends. Nazuna's photo wasn't under anyone else's and Sango had a strong feeling that the picture of Faye Richards was the one that was meant to go above.

"How's Ayame doing on getting those missing pics?" Sango asked, looking towards Kagura. "I haven't been able to talk to her lately."

"She says that she's contacted the Richards family and asking for a photo. Ayame's hoping that they'll call her back soon to pick it up. In Kikyo's case though…apparently it's not going so good."

"Which could be a problem for us," Sesshomaru stated. "If Kikyo is indeed, the trigger, then it would be the easiest to tell."

"But you're still forgetting," Sango added. "Naraku has confessed."

"True," Kagura said, nodding. "I'd look into him though. Something about him just doesn't feel right. What about his secretary? She'd probably know if he'd been free on those hours."

"Good idea," Sango agreed. "I'll get working on that until Inuyasha calls me back. Miroku, do you want to come with me?"

Miroku's face lit up like a light bulb in the dark. "Of course!"

Rolling her eyes, Sango tried to hide a smile and walked with him to her office. She talked to Korari, Naraku's secretary, just recently, and thought that a quick call to schedule a time would be best.

Together, the two made it to Sango's office silently. Neither of them spoke when Sango searched through some papers and dialled the number and Miroku waited patiently as Sango talked to the girl.

Sango kept saying things like 'I'm sorry' and 'you really don't have to.' By the end of the call, Sango cradled the phone and sighed, massaging her closed eyes. "I should have waited until tomorrow to call."

Miroku raised a brow and sat in the chair opposite her, saying, "Why? Would it have made a difference?"

"Yeah," Sango said, heaving out another long sigh. "She says that she's going away for a week, to get away from it all and have some time to think. It's all booked and everything. Says that she's leaving tomorrow in the morning."

"So we have to go over now?"

Sango nodded and leaned back in her chair, giving Miroku a lop-sided smile. "When I was a little girl, my favourite TV show in the entire world was Cops. You know when they videotape all the action and when they catch the guys that run? Most of the time it's just trying to get some fat drunk chick away because she's making a ruckus but still, it was inspiring. I thought that that was what police work was all about. How wrong was I?"

Miroku smiled back and stood up, holding his hand out for her to take. "Wrong, but it doesn't cross out your good intentions. You're one of those people that are a cop to the very bones. You follow the rules but know when to break them. You smile when people curse you for giving them a ticket and you intervene when you know a situation is getting out of hand. You're one of those people that can be prickly and moody but when it comes down to it, will jump into a burning building or crawl under a car that's being crushed by a truck to either save a life or be with them when they go."

Sango looked up into Miroku's eyes and couldn't help but smile. Normally when people went on about her work, she was either flustered or embarrassed by it –mostly because they were cursing her job or lavishing her in compliments. But with Miroku, he just made it all seem to…grounded. He made her feel special and valuable without making her feel like they were overestimating her.

"You're a great person Sango and no matter how hard this is for you, I know you'll get through it."

Sango took Miroku's hand and let him pull her up. She didn't know what to say to that so she said nothing, walking with him through the station. She had let go of his hand the moment she stood up, but instantly felt bad for doing so.

If Miroku had wanted to hold her hand, he didn't show it. He merely just looked indifferent as he surged ahead. Going to the doors and watching her start to leave.

"Aren't you coming?" Sango asked.

Miroku cocked a brow. "Am I allowed?"

"If you don't mind waiting in the car while I talk to her then by all means."

Miroku smiled and hopped in the cruiser, buckling up as she drove out of the parking lot. The ride was silent but it was because Miroku didn't say anything and Sango was too busy thinking of what Miroku had said. _"You're a great person Sango and no matter how hard this is for you, I know you'll get through it."_

"Yeah," Sango said, smiling and looking at Miroku as he looked back at her. "As long as I'm with you."

Obviously, Miroku understood what she meant, that she was going back to their previous conversation because it was then that their hands linked and Sango did nothing to pull her own away.

* * *

"Why are you showing me your laptop?" Inuyasha demanded, looking at Kagome irately. "I came to find out how you knew, not read your stories." 

"But that's the thing," Kagome said, not at all deterred by his gaze. "I told you before that it was the voices in my head that told me, when really, it's the story. I seem to have the ability not only to hear the dead but to write murders as they happen, with a bit of day-to-day information with it. You won't find out the killer, but you'll know how I get everything. And then after, we'll go on a trip through my mind. Sound fun?"

Inuyasha ignored her cruel look, and with a deep breath, read on.

* * *

_**Next Chapter: **Story Time- And that night, no one had heard her scream. No one would ever hear her scream again._


	23. Story Time

_**Disclaimer: I don't own him. **_

_**Thank you for the reviews!!

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**_

_Chapter Twenty-Two: Story Time

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_

_Hair:_ Yuri Wadena's Story

Epilogue

It was time to make him crawl. His want was ferocious and his need to be taught a lesson was desperate. He bowed before her, his hands searching and wandering up her legs as she side stepped him and circled around.

"You worthless bitch," she screamed, her voice echoing in the cavernous basement. "You don't touch me. You don't ever touch me."

Lifting her arm, she flicked it down, feeling the power that she held in her grasp connect with his skin, leaving him to grunt in pain. She tossed the black leather whip into her left hand and walked towards him until he was right below her. She nudged him with her foot. "Roll over," she ordered.

When he was finally on his back, she slid down, straddling and grinding into him, their clothes separating them. She could feel his excitement underneath her but she didn't stop. Suddenly, his hands grabbed her butt and instinctively she slapped him.

"I said don't touch me," she hissed quietly. "Not until I say."

It went on for another half-hour, her whip, voice and movements controlling his very being. He was powerless beneath her and could do no more than obey, the blindfold that blocked his view forcing his trust and want to her. When it was finally all over, she quickly shoved him out the large back doors that were hidden from view from the road and then ran to the phone, dialling a number.

"What do you want Yuri?"

Yuri bit back a growl, brushing her short bangs out of her face. "Tammy, where the hell are you?"

She could hear Tammy's hesitance on the other end and dead silence ensued.

This time, Yuri did growl. "Tammy, what the hell are you doing? I'm here at the warehouse all alone, again."

"One of these bastards came to my house Yuri, what am I supposed to do? I gave him the final warning and we were just getting down to business when _you_ interrupted. I told him though that if he ever came to my place again he would be banned."

Yuri held the phone away from her and cursed. "Next time," Yuri said, bring the phone back to her, "call. It would be appreciated."

"I'm sure," Tammy drawled on the other end. "Whatever, I have to go now."

Yuri didn't even wait for a goodbye and merely slammed the phone down in its receiver. "I can't believe her!" Yuri shrieked to the empty warehouse. She didn't have any more tricks that night and it was only twelve-thirty in the morning. She had been hoping that if Tammy came, she could steal some of hers.

Sighing, Yuri turned off all the lights and walked out, not bothering to lock it because no one even came down that way anymore. The building was forgotten, a lost moment in time. That was, until she popped up.

The night's air was cool and the last of the streetlights that flickered aimlessly started to die. Already having memorized the path in the dark, Yuri walked to her small Honda and unlocked its doors. Jumping in and immediately starting the car, Yuri pulled it into reverse and backed out.

The roads were abandoned and nobody dared to walk down the lonely streets at night. Even though Trite was a small and extremely safe town, no one really ventured at night. Of course, Yuri realized that where she was, was mostly deserted anyways.

Day or night.

Dismissing that thought from her mind, she drove along the road, passing forest clumps and old houses. When she drove by one of the places that stood out the most she slowed down her car, seeing the place dark and discarded.

It was an old shrine, built probably long ago, generations before she was born. The place had always intrigued her and it had saddened her greatly when she learned the old man that lived there had passed away.

She had seen him a couple of times, sweeping the porch or doing some other duty around the house. He always looked busy and fairly cheerful, despite the fact that he lived all alone. Sometimes, Yuri wanted to go and visit him but had always chickened out of the idea.

Now, she was too late.

Even though Yuri wasn't exactly the most innocent girl around, she still at times had an innocent being to her. She still loved getting free lollipops from the doctor's office and always made sure she got a band-aid after getting a needle.

When she was in a very depressed mood and needed to think, she found herself more than once turning to the children's channel, watching old TV shows about talking bears and turtles, solving their problems with hugs and kisses.

If only life worked that way.

A flicker of her headlights caught sight of a car, parked dead in the middle of the other lane. The owner of the car stood at the driver's side door, banging their head against it. Yuri realized that it was a fairly familiar face; she had probably seen them around Trite. Knowing that she could be able to help, Yuri parked her car ahead of the other and got out.

"Oh, hello," the owner of the car said, flashing a smile. "Are you my saviour of the night?"

Yuri smiled too and laughed. "I guess so. What's wrong with your car?"

"It was out of gas," the owner said with a sigh. "But I managed to fix that. I always have a small gas container in the back just in case. My real problem is my dog."

"Why, what happened?" Yuri asked. She had never seen this person with a dog before, but she didn't question anything.

"Well, this car is extremely old," the owner said with a drawl, kicking the tires for good measure. "When it died, it made this huge popping sound and Spot, my dog, pushed past me when I got out to take care of it. I think the noise really startled him. He ran into the farmer's field there."

Following the direction of the finger pointed, she realized that it _would_ be difficult to get the dog back. All the hills and slopes could easily block someone's view. For ten minutes they searched, fruitlessly calling Spot's name. They were about a hundred or so feet away from the road and when no sign of the dog came, Yuri started to feel uneasy.

"Do you think-?" Yuri never got to finish her sentence because without warning, two hands snaked around her neck and choked her. She couldn't breath and Yuri knew it was going to end. She didn't see a white light and she didn't hear a name calling her, but Yuri knew she was going to die.

When her last breath was stolen from her and she felt her body go limply to the ground, Yuri opened her mouth to scream, to gasp, to do something to stop the killer. She didn't want to die. Not yet.

She never had a choice in the matter though and before she knew it, darkness surrounded her. Everything was gone and she was left to pure bliss. Forever afterwards she would never feel the cuts placed carefully all over her body, bleeding to the earth below.

And there she laid, forever in lost slumber in a land to never be comprehended. Killed for no sin but killed by sin itself, her features forever destroyed because in this case, looks can kill.

* * *

_Act:_ Kirara Nekomata's Story

Epilogue

It was just another day.

The café was fuller then usual for that night but Kirara shrugged it off as a good night for tips. So far she had made over three hundred dollars worth. It was a pretty good advantage being a small town. Here, everyone tipped better than anywhere else and everyone was just content with everything.

Tonight though, the café was quieter than usual. The reason was simple: everyone was fretting over the death of Yuri Wadena and the news that came with it.

The fact that Yuri had returned to her dominatrix days didn't exactly surprise Kirara, but Kirara hadn't known Yuri as well as others. Sure, she had seen her around town, but who _hadn't_? In Trite, if you didn't know someone –unless you were new- you were considered to shut out from the world. Pretty soon your neighbours would be over at your house everyday, bringing you somewhere or another.

It was, to say the least, kind of pathetic.

But Kirara had always been happy with life in Trite. She had no plans for moving out of the place and was even eyeing someone at the moment. A hopeful, hopefully…

"Hey Shippo!" Kirara said cheerfully, pretending that everything was all okay between them. It was kind of hard after the party but she and him had talked about it. It had probably been the longest three hours of Kirara's life and afterwards, the only relief was that they had both agreed it was a mistake, caused by too much liquor on both halves.

"Hey Kirara, how are you?" Shippo asked, brushing away a strand of red hair away from his green forest eyes.

Kirara shrugged, gesturing towards the many people in the room. "Busy but that's life isn't it?"

Shippo let out an explosive sigh. "Tell me about it," he muttered and then grinned. "How's your mom?"

Kirara laughed, remembering the explosion from her mom when Shippo and her decided to make a chocolate cake with chocolate icing. It ended up terribly and most of the ingredients were out on the counters and floors rather then in the bowl.

When her mom had come home to see the mess, it had not been a pleasant greeting. In the end, Shippo had left with his metaphorical tail between his legs.

A couple days later, Shippo had gone to the store and bought a cake for the woman, having been a little sad that Mrs. Nekomata wasn't happy with him.

Kirara's mother was about as much of a mother to her daughter as she was to Shippo and since Shippo lost his parents at a very young age, Mrs. Nekomata was about as close as he got to a second chance.

"She's doing great. She loved the cake. Did you bake it yourself?"

Shippo nodded, proud. "Yes I did! Of course…" He motioned for Kirara to bend down to his level and when she did, he whispered in her ear, "Just don't tell her I got some help from the baker at the store."

Kirara burst out laughing, nearly knocking his drink over on the table. When the laughter subsided, she stood up. "Sorry Shippo but I have to go and work. See you later?"

"You bet you will," Shippo said with a wink.

Kirara kept catering until it was closing time; most of the people gone until there were only one or two. Politely, she asked a group of three men to leave, saying that it was past closing time. They left with a couple grumbles and catcalls and Kirara just ignored them all. Shippo had already left and Kirara was to close the café all by herself.

The final person in the room was bent over a newspaper, long hair covering the eyes. Kirara approached and put a hand on their shoulder. "Hey, um, sorry to bug you but the café is closing. If you could please…"

"You'll know…then you'll tell. I can't let you…I won't let you."

Kirara gasped and took a couple steps backward, feeling the familiar feel of a cold finger rubbing up and down her spine. This was not good, not good at all. The figure stepped up, closing in on her and Kirara backed up more, feeling her heart drop out of her stomach.

"Get away! Leave me alone! What are you doing? What are you doing-?"

The figure lashed out at her and Kirara turned to get away.

Kirara tried to run, wanted to run, anywhere. She had to get out, get out before she was killed. She was positive that that was going to happen. This was Yuri's murderer. Without a hint of doubt, Kirara knew.

Her life was in danger and her primal instincts for survival took over. Her legs tensed and released as she sprinted, she cut the corner sharply, going behind the counter and towards the door.

"Don't try to run you liar," the voice murmured, the sound deadly quiet.

"Oh God help me! Don't! I didn't know, I didn't know! Oh Jesus I didn't know!" Kirara shrieked. "Help me, please, oh please…"

She knew no one could hear her, but she tried anyways. It would do her no good, but at least she was trying.

Kirara was pushed against the counter, the cold chill of the marble sending a shock down her body. She was then pushed against the hard wall, the air pressed out of her lungs…

The final image that flashed through her mind was the glint of the metal and the final sound was the gasping breath when the first impact sliced through her. She couldn't breathe… She couldn't think of anything but the blackness that covered her vision…

Death and an everlasting hate…

And that night, no one had heard her scream. No one would ever hear her scream again.

* * *

_Eyes:_ Nazuna Orikasa's Story

Epilogue

There was just something about being knocked in the head that was vaguely unpleasant, especially if it was a hard hit and especially if you fell unconscious due to it.

Nazuna opened her eyes and tried to look around her. The only thing she saw though was inky blackness. Nazuna instinctively shivered, feeling a chill so strong that she just wanted to run, hide and bury herself under everything that she could find. She was scared, and she wasn't too proud to admit that fact.

Feeling time start to drain in an invisible hourglass in her mind, Nazuna started to feel her away around her surroundings. A weird feel came from underneath her clammy hands. It felt like…millions of fibres, rough but not painful.

Her legs were bent and lowered to the bottom. She tried to lift them up and got as far as part way there until she felt a top close down on her. Reaching her hands up, she could barely stretch them all the way before she felt whatever lid was on top of her.

'Have I been…buried alive?' Nazuna thought, her eyes widening. She closed them once more and shook her head.

"No," she whispered harshly out loud, surprised by the rough sound in her voice. "I can't be."

For several minutes, Nazuna just lay there, listening to her breathing and trying to figure out where she was. An odd sound filled her and Nazuna couldn't escape the feeling that she was being transported, that she was moving.

'A car,' Nazuna thought, her mind rapidly thinking. 'I'm in a car. I'm in the trunk of a car.'

She listened to the sounds and came to the conclusion that she was on asphalt, not gravel. So she was probably still in the heart of town. In Trite.

But how long had she been knocked out? What if she had been knocked out for a couple hours? She wouldn't be in Trite anymore would she? How far away was she?

How long had she been out for?

Fear started to claw at her, the first numbing of shock casting away and the terrible lonely feel of fear overwhelming her. Her stomach was a mess, she felt as if a million, billon butterflies fluttered inside her.

Butterflies with massive five-inch bodies.

Butterflies with claws.

It was a strange feeling, fear was. It was a sheer blind panic that came from primal coarse instinct. It left you no time to think, no time to wonder and no time to worry.

The only thought that ran through your mind was a pleading one, a begging one.

_I don't want to die._

Right now, Nazuna was being overwhelmed with it, tears spilling down her face like a river that wouldn't let up. She hadn't been more terrified in all of her short life. Would she die at age twenty-eight? Would she live to see Shippo again? What about her friends, Tsubaki and Korari? Would they ever know what happened to her?

If she survived this, Nazuna vowed to make her life better. She didn't know how just yet, but she would make it better.

But if was such a choosy word.

"Who would do this?" Nazuna whispered; her throat raw from trying to have a silent cry. "Why would anyone want to kill me?"

Nazuna didn't want to know but she searched her mind, thinking of all that wrong things in her life that she did. She thought maybe Kirara would, but there were three things wrong with that. One: Kirara wasn't angry at her for what happened with Shippo. Two: Kirara wasn't the type of person to go on a killing spree just because of something that she wasn't even angry at. And three: Kirara was dead.

By the same person that held her captive in a trunk.

She thought.

Nazuna wiped the tears that stained her flushed face and took three deep breaths, the outcome only a glimmer of calm. 'I have to get out of here,' Nazuna thought, looking around the black trunk. 'But how?'

Nothing could be seen and other then the sound of a running car, she heard nothing else. No other cars.

Did that mean it was late? Around midnight? Or maybe early morning?

Nazuna didn't know and personally didn't care. It wouldn't help her anyways. Suddenly, she felt the car begin to stop and a couple seconds after, the car shut off. Nazuna immediately felt her heart stop and her eyes widened in fear.

Pretend to sleep, she told herself. So she did.

Footsteps could be heard coming from the left side and Nazuna could hear her heart. When it had started beating again, she didn't know. The roaring of blood in her ears was so loud that Nazuna thought she wouldn't hear anything else.

But she did.

She heard the trunk unlock and heard hands grabbing the lid to open it. No light shone on her and she didn't have to squint. So it had to be dark out. She tried to even her breathing and for a minute, her capturer did nothing. Nazuna was about to open her eyes when she heard a voice and instantly, her body filled with relief. But then she actually registered what they said.

"I know you're awake and I want you out of the trunk, now."

Nazuna did open her eyes, startled that such a menacing sound could lie in that voice. "What?" she asked, looking at her capturer.

"Get out of the Goddamn trunk bitch and move."

Nazuna gasped and nodded, slowly getting out of the trunk.

"And if you make a sound or make a break for it, all it takes is for me to pull the trigger to lodge a bullet dead center in that head of yours."

Nazuna didn't see a gun and nothing was pressed against her. This was a joke.

A practical joke.

One hell of a fucked up joke.

But Nazuna was scared and with the fact that her brain still didn't register the fact that this could be nothing _but_ a dream, she ran quickly. The sad fact was that she didn't even get far before she was grabbed from behind, rough hands closing around her wrists.

"Damn you Nazuna."

Nazuna let out a rasping sob before starting to struggle, throwing her weight to and fro. And before she could remember anything else, everything went black.

The only thing that Nazuna heard afterwards was the soft whisper of a painful goodbye.

* * *

_**Next Chapter: **Numb- …A bullet lodged just below her breast and blood spilling everywhere onto the carpeted floor._

**_I know this chapter didn't have any Inuyasha or Kagome or anyone else but it does help to know what's going on. These are just the epilogues of the stories she wrote, not the entire thing. I didn't write the murders of Rin and Kikyo or any of them because I didn't want to mix up past and present and I hadn't exactly planned the deaths. There's no information or background about the characters anyways so it would be difficult to encorporate them in._**

**_P.S. Which pairing do you like better? Sesshomaru and Rin (when she's older) or Sesshomaru and Kagura?_**


	24. Numb

_**Disclaimer: I don't own him.

* * *

**_

_Chapter Twenty-Three: Numb

* * *

_

Sango and Miroku made it to Korari's house in ten minutes time, both chatting idly about random topics you would normally talk about while eating doughnuts and having coffee in a small corner café on a bright Saturday morning.

Too bad it wasn't Saturday and they didn't have the doughnuts or the coffee.

They were in the middle of an investigation, one that seemed to get trickier as time went on. Korari lived in a small house that was low-maintenance and when Sango parked the car, Miroku gave her hand a squeeze.

"Be careful, okay?"

Sango smiled. "Of course but it's only Korari's house."

"Oh I know. But isn't it my job to say that now?"

Miroku looked at Sango with a curiosity that just barely hid the intensity behind it. Sango had been given an out. If she agreed, she might as well just finalize them as a couple but if she said no…

Sango didn't even dare think about the latter option as she smiled and got out of the car, leaning down before saying, "It better be." Then, before he could say anything, Sango walked away and left Miroku to his thoughts, deciding that it would be better for him to think it out before he backed out.

Before she got hurt.

Sango knocked on the door to Korari's house and waited patiently, looking at the fine wood door as it stood out broadly from the rest of the house. Korari came from a well-off family, which was unusual for a town like Trite. Families around there were rarely poor but very rarely wealthy. The Mizuka family was the richest in all of Trite, having an outstanding business in law and being both well respected and feared.

Korari opened the door just as Sango was about to knock for a second time. She smiled and apologized for taking so long, her hair dripping wet as she explained that she had just got out of the shower. She stood in a baggy sweater, sweatpants and fluffy slippers and blushed as she shut the door.

"Sorry, even though you told me you were coming right over I didn't think you would."

"Well, the station isn't exactly a fun place to be," Sango commented. "Why don't you get dressed and then we'll talk?"

Korari nodded and led the way to the kitchen, offering Sango some coffee that she declined and then disappearing down a hall. Waiting patiently, Sango contented herself with looking at the homey feel of the place. The brightly coloured wallpaper and stained wood cupboards made the place stand out and the overstuffed couches and fair sized TV in the great room would make even the most uneasy person comfortable.

"Sorry to keep you waiting," Korari said with a small smile when she returned. "I hope I'm not ruining anything or putting something on hold."

Sango laughed and shook her head. "No, no, relax you're not. I just came here to ask you about Naraku's schedule."

Korari grimaced slightly but nodded. "Go on."

"We need to know what he was scheduled to do the day both Yuri and Kirara died. What he was planning on doing that day, what time he had meetings if he had any, that sort of stuff."

Korari frowned and looked up at Sango. "I can try but I'm not sure if I can. Naraku might have changed the passwords on the computer. If he has I won't be able to break it."

"Do you need to go to his office to get the information?"

"No," Korari confirmed. "He set up an account here for me so I can do some of the paperwork at home if it was an emergency. I have my desktop in the office."

Sango's hopes soared. Maybe this would be easier than she thought. She followed Korari into the office and watched amazed as she typed rapidly, putting in passwords and access codes until a dark screen appeared. "So he hasn't changed the passwords yet," Korari murmured. "That's lucky."

Sango couldn't agree more.

Clicking on some icons with the mouse and typing in some more information, Korari eventually turned around. "On the night Yuri was murdered, he had a meeting with a couple men from out of town-"

"Anything in town?" Sango asked, cutting the girl off.

"No, not that day but he ended work around five. Now, the day Kirara died…" Korari typed some more and watched as a new screen loaded. "Naraku didn't come into the office until lunch. He was doing paperwork all day, I remember. He only had one meeting, around six with Mr. Mizuka."

* * *

He couldn't breathe.

He listened for noise outside of the room he was in, cautious of everything around him. He had managed to get the doors unlocked and now, he only had to wait until it was all clear.

Then he could go.

Then he could kill.

Finally taking in a big gulp of air, he twisted the metal doorknob and snuck outside, silent, deadly.

Now he could go.

Now he could kill.

* * *

It was eleven-twenty.

She squirmed in her seat, watching the red flashing numbers on the clock. She silently debated what to do and silently concluded that she was losing her mind.

Oh wait, she had already lost that.

An older woman appeared in the doorway, smiling gently as she walked over. "You wanted to call?"

"Yes," she answered firmly, meeting the older woman's gaze. "It's important."

"Well, we're a bit backed up. How about in ten minutes?"

"That would be too late. I need to call now."

The older woman looked taken aback, startled by the intensity in her voice. "But--"

"Now."

Maybe it was the way she looked so pale, or the way her voice sounded so heavy and so thick that she couldn't disagree because the older woman disappeared from the doorway and minutes later appeared with a cell phone. "You'll have to go outside to use this. Do you think you can manage?"

"No, but I have to. I just have to."

* * *

When Kagome sat down on the couch in the living room, she realized that she had left her cell phone turned off. After turning the cell phone back on and leaving it on a small wood table in between the couch and the TV, Kagome tried her hardest to relax and watch calmly.

But her nerves were getting the better of her, and it took every ounce of self-control Kagome had to stop herself from reading over his shoulder. He had been at the stories for a couple hours now and impatiently she waited for him to be done.

Kagome had thought five minutes later that she was calm; that she wasn't jittery and wasn't worried. It took one loud shrill from her cell to prove her wrong.

"Hello?" Kagome answered; the caller I.D number unknown.

"_Tell Miroku to find Sango."_

Kagome frowned. "Who is this?"

"_You're going to have to trust me. Call Miroku and tell him to find Sango."_

"Whoever this is," Kagome said; her voice rising slightly, "needs to stop. Who are you?"

"_Please," _the female on the other end begged. To Kagome, the voice sounded familiar. _"I'm trying to help. Just call Miroku and tell him to find Sango. Time is running out."_

"Running out?" Kagome felt her heart beat faster. "If this is a joke, it's not funny."

"_It's not a joke! Please, please just trust me on this. Please, do as I ask."_

And before Kagome could utter another word, the line went dead.

The caller had hung up.

Kagome sat there and contemplated what to do. The caller had sounded genuine and pleading. If it was a joke, she would be able to hear the mocking in it.

_Do it_, her imaginary friend whispered. _Time's running out._

Kagome didn't need her imaginary friend to say anything else. The shiver that ran up and down her back like a cold finger was enough. Something bad was about to happen and Kagome only hoped that time was not yet finished with her.

* * *

"Hey Kagome," Miroku said, flipping open his cell after checking the I.D. "We were trying to call you. Sango cracked the case. Naraku confessed to killing Yuri, Kirara and Nazuna."

It took a while for Kagome to reply. _"I see. Where are you?"_

"Outside one of Nazuna's friend's house. Korari, her name is. She worked as Naraku's assistant and we're trying to find out his hours to see if it all fits."

"_Go see Sango."_

Miroku laughed. "But I'm not allowed. Sango would break off both of my hands if I did."

"_Miroku," _Kagome said calmly. _"I mean it. Blame it all on me if you want, I don't care. Just go see her. Now."_

The sound of Kagome's voice was enough to make Miroku erase all his doubts and jump out of the already unlocked car. Without saying goodbye to Kagome, Miroku hung up and raced for the walkway that led to the door.

It was then that he saw it. A black figure just passing the side of the house and if Miroku had seen correctly, on the figure's hip was a nicely placed gun. Since Miroku knew his odds were slim if he attacked alone, he ran inside the house, trying to open the door as quiet as possible.

He heard voices in the distance and without knowledge of the house and where one thing led to the next; Miroku stumbled through the cluttered place in search of Sango.

He had almost made it too.

The instant he saw the girls, a gunshot rang out and without hesitation Miroku leaped out, crashing into Sango and bringing her down to the ground. Glass behind them shattered and Korari screamed.

Sango took out her gun from its holster, clicked off the safety and shot, narrowly missing the attacker but scaring him off enough to make a run for it. Following instinct, Sango chased him, only to lose him when he exited the backyard.

"Sango!" Miroku screamed. "Get in here!"

Sango raced back, her black hair flying as she was by Miroku's side in a second. Right below him was Korari, a bullet lodged just below her breast and blood spilling everywhere onto the carpeted floor.

* * *

It took Inuyasha fourteen hours and twenty-seven minutes to read all three stories. By the time he was finished, it was one in the morning and by the sounds left in the house, Kagome was cuddled up on the couch watching the news. Her laptop was plugged into the wall because it ran out of battery eleven hours ago.

Inuyasha felt his body go numb, reading the stories of each death. Each death of one of the murdered victims in Trite. They were amazing, every story and every word typed added something to the overall picture of it. Inuyasha was never a reader and had always failed book reports when his teacher assigned them because he had refused to read the books, claiming they were too boring, too stupid and too happy.

Because he knew life wasn't like that.

But these… The only word capable of describing each book was simple: indescribable. Inuyasha pondered over his thoughts realizing that in the end, he gained very little information. The murderer was never described and every time was different. The killer acted to get to Yuri, the killer waited to get to Kirara and the killer struggled to get Nazuna. Three different girls, three different deaths, three different operations and one killer.

He gained absolutely nothing from the stories.

He gained nothing that Kagome hadn't already told him.

She had led them on to assume that the killer knew Nazuna –proven by the story. The killer lived in Trite –Kagome told them. The times, the places and the stories all matched, even to the interviews of the families. Shippo had claimed he had seen Kirara in the café the night she died.

Shippo was in the story and had seen Kirara, talked to Kirara, the day she died.

Feeling somewhat numb, Inuyasha stood up and took a couple minutes to stretch, the muscles in his back, arms and neck all tense while his butt killed and his legs were asleep. His stomach growled since he hadn't eaten in almost twenty-four hours and his eyes were heavy from reading the screen. Inuyasha could already feel a headache coming on but chose to ignore it.

He figured that Kagome would occupy his mind soon. And sure enough, she did.

"Finished?" she asked in a mild tone, looking bored. "Satisfied?"

"Yes and no," Inuyasha said, stepping away from the computer so Kagome could shut it down. Without speaking they made their way into the kitchen and Kagome started to make coffee after offering it to Inuyasha.

When the coffee was made and still neither one of them had spoken up, Kagome sighed and turned to face him, leaning on the kitchen counter. "You told me yourself you're not satisfied. So, ask away."

"That's how you found out about the deaths? Not the voices?"

Kagome shook her head. "The voices –I believe- are what connect me to the murders. I can hear the dead and when someone is dying, I guess if I have some link to either the place, killer, victim…I can write their death. I wasn't lying when I said it was the voices, I just hadn't told the full truth."

Inuyasha scowled.

"And did you notice how I helped you get everything that I learned from the story? That I kept nothing to myself?"

Nodding, Inuyasha took a sip of his coffee, too embarrassed to really speak. He wasn't one for being put into awkward situations but damn, this girl always seemed to get him in them.

After a while, Inuyasha stared into the mug where the brown bitter liquid stirred. "Why didn't you show me earlier? The stories, I mean?"

Kagome shrugged. "Not sure. I guess it wasn't time."

"In case you haven't noticed," Inuyasha said, "we seem to be running out of it pretty damn fast. I don't see how you had the luxury to wait to show me."

"But I did," Kagome said wryly. "Oh, I know all about time and how fast it's running out. The game is almost done Inuyasha. And the killer isn't finished yet. The finale has yet to occur."

"The voices?" Inuyasha asked; a slight drawl in his voice. "I'm not even sure they exist anymore."

"Don't be stupid. You heard them yourself. They exist. The reason I know most of the details that didn't come from my stories is because of my imaginary friend."

Inuyasha's face was blank before it twisted into a cruel grin. "You really are crazy."

Kagome forced down the stab of pain that he created, knowing that there would be time later for that. "That's just my name for her, since she won't tell me the name she had before she died. She's the one that…encouraged me to find Yuri's body. She's the whole reason I'm in this bloody mess."

"I see," Inuyasha said skeptically. "So, can I meet this 'imaginary friend' of yours?"

Kagome ignored –as hard as it was- the sarcasm in his voice and instead just grabbed his hand. "You want to meet her? You want to know my past? Then fine Inuyasha, you'll get what you want. Maybe then you'll finally see. Maybe then you'll finally clue in that I'm not crazy, just different. Maybe then you'll finally get what I've suffered in my lifetime. Maybe then…you won't hate me so much."

If Inuyasha had anything to say to that, it was lost as reality dripped away like a shattered mirror. His senses fuzzed out and the only thing he was aware of was Kagome's cool hand on top of his own. Like he remembered, the darkness surrounded them like a thick blanket, enough to suffocate any of it wanderers.

"Kagome?" Inuyasha called out, suddenly unsure of himself. She was nowhere to be seen.

_You need her Inuyasha. Don't push her away._

The same familiar voice filled the void of inky blackness and Inuyasha felt like cowering. "Who are you?"

A short humourless laugh could be heard. _Kagome's imaginary friend. Who else?_

It was just then that a door appeared, the same door that had appeared before him once before. The last time he saw it, it was burning with an uncontrollable fire but of course, Kagome had been screaming and crying. Something about the dark and starving.

Of being left alone.

"You want to know my past? Then fine Inuyasha, you'll get what you want," Kagome's voice came from somewhere in the distance. "Open it. Go in."

Inuyasha felt like he had no other choice and slowly he approached it, reaching out for the knob unsteadily. When the cool metal touched his skin, Inuyasha revelled how everything felt the same as if he were back in their reality.

"Don't confuse the two," Kagome said again from somewhere in the darkness. "One is of the living and the other –this one- the dead."

Inuyasha swallowed and took a deep breath, a sense of finality overwhelming him. He opened the door. What lay behind was no room, no carpet and no couches. It wasn't a door to a house or a door to a closet. It was a door to memories: memories of a painful childhood and a scarring past.

Inuyasha saw things that no child should ever suffer and stood helplessly as objects passed right through him like he was a ghost, a phantom to a past reality. When the burning memories slowly started to die away, his senses rushed all back and he could suddenly see, hear, touch, smell and taste what was the real world.

Inuyasha looked towards Kagome with heavy eyes and watched as she turned her back to him. "Was that…? Did that really…?"

"Real? Happen?" Kagome finished, the words coming out like a broken sob. "Yeah, it did. The man you saw was my father. The little girl you saw was me. When I was little, I would always hear my parents fighting in the other rooms, or sometimes in the room I was in. Once, my father had acted out in rage and broke a couple of my mother's ribs. She didn't report it, maybe because she loved him or because she feared him. Maybe both, but it changed my father's target. Soon, my father beat me. Everyday, after school he would grab a bottle of whiskey and drink and then when he had enough he would come searching for me."

Kagome took a shaky breath and finally met Inuyasha's gaze, refusing to let him see tears. "But that wasn't the worst of it. My father had always feared I would run and tell so instead of leaving me in my room, he'd lock me in the closet. Without food, without water, he'd order my mother to stay away from me. Sometimes I'd stay there for days at a time."

* * *

_**Next Chapter: **Answers- "Relax?! Relax! With Naraku confessing to the murders, Korari shot and now in the hospital and NARAKU DISAPPEARING behind our very eyes, I think not! Get your ass down here or I will personally shoot you."_

**_Thanks for all of the reviews! I love you!_**


	25. Answers

_**Disclaimer: Don't own him**__

* * *

_

Chapter Twenty-Four: Answers

* * *

"He'd…lock you in a closet?" Inuyasha asked; reaching out for her arm but when he touched it she shrugged it off.

Kagome nodded. "It was my punishment. At our old house we used to have this small closet that we hung our jackets and stuff in. When my father was finished beating me, he'd drag me there and throw me in. My mother would always protest but she couldn't do anything about it. He had threatened to kill her if she went even ten feet of the door and she knew he was too smart to let me actually die in there, so she did nothing.

"For days I would go without food and water, just sitting there alone in the dark small closet waiting to be let out by my father. I would constantly cry, thinking that one day he'd just forget me and leave me in there to either starve or suffocate. One night, it was really bad. He beat me so hard I blacked out and then, angry with himself, he threw me against the wall. When I woke up, I was in the closet, all alone once more.

"That was the final beating he ever gave me. At two-oh-five in the morning. Eventually, when my mother had enough money to support herself, she divorced him and got a restraining order, protecting us from him. We went to court as well, and won. He was put away for child abuse and other similar things. For years afterwards, I never saw him. A coupe times I heard he was in and out of jail but I tried to stay out of it. As far as my father went, he was as good as dead to me. I preferred it that way."

Inuyasha waited in silence, knowing there was a lot more to the story then what she was telling him. "That wasn't the end of it though, was it?"

For a second, Kagome did nothing but stare at the ground. And then, Inuyasha heard the first sounds of a sob escape her and before she had the chance to huddle herself in a ball and cry all alone like she had done for years, Inuyasha grabbed her and pulled her to him, letting her cry all her tears on him.

He rocked her and soothed her like a little child, stroking her hair and making promises that he vowed to keep. Like keeping her safe and keeping her loved. When Kagome finally pulled her self together, and the sobs were more whimpers than anything else, she pulled away slightly and brushed the tears off her face.

"He…H-He came back."

"Your father?"

Kagome nodded, her lower lip trembling but remaining strong. "Five years ago."

"The file in the database," Inuyasha whispered, everything starting to make sense.

Kagome just nodded once more. "I had already long been friends with Miroku and it was already after the first murder. Actually, it was the night Rin was murdered. I was up after writing the story and went to call Miroku. Then…I heard footsteps and then he whispered something to me."

Inuyasha, despite the fact that she had already pulled away several times, brought her back to him and this time, she didn't move.

Kagome's face twisted. "Boo. That's what he whispered. The same thing he whispered to me the night of the final beating before we left. It was just like I was living the past because he came again at five after two."

"What did he do?" Inuyasha asked quietly.

"He beat me, threatened me with a knife and cut me up. He threw me against the walls and over counters. He was so angry…just so, so angry. I remember I was bleeding and before he left me he shoved me in the main closet of my house. If I hadn't been talking to Miroku on the phone when he came and the ambulance didn't get there when it did, I would have died due to blood loss."

Inuyasha felt a shiver run through him. No wonder she had been alone all those years. It must have been terrifying to have experienced that and the dark… No wonder she hated it. No wonder she panicked when she had been enclosed and trapped in the black void of her mind. It reminded her of being alone in the closet, locked up and forever left alone.

"Miroku is the only person that knows about this and I probably wouldn't have told him if it hadn't been for the fact that he became involved. My father's locked in jail for good now. Attempted murder, trespassing, violation of the restraining order and such. If I'm lucky, he's probably already dead."

"So, for years you and your mother suffered alone with him? No one should go through that Kagome, no one."

"On the final night, when he threw me against the wall for the last time, Miroku claims that's how I became a medium. His mother had once explained to him that all of us have paranormal abilities, locked in a room within our mind that we don't have the key to. Some of us our born with that key and we grow up using the talents. Paranormal abilities have also been known to be hereditary."

"So, if you ever had kids, there would be a good chance that the child would be psychic?" Inuyasha asked.

"Yes but they might not have the same 'power.' Like if one mother had two children, one could have the ability and the other wouldn't. Like Miroku. His mother had The Sight but he doesn't have anything. Psychic abilities can also be brought on by a deep trauma, or head injury. That's why they believe I can talk to the dead."

"Because your father threw you against the wall? Confusing."

"Very," Kagome agreed, taking in Inuyasha's masculine scent. "Inuyasha... Thank you, again."

"Please, don't," Inuyasha whispered. "I don't exactly deserve it."

"True."

Inuyasha sighed and stroked her hair a little longer. "Truce?"

"Truce," Kagome said. Then, a thought struck her as she looked up at him. "Hey, it's only an idea but whoever has the second half of my jewel has to have either gotten it from my mom or it's a really close replica, right?"

"Right," Inuyasha confirmed, nodding for her to continue.

"So if it was from my mother, it wouldn't be buried with her and wouldn't her will say where the other half goes?"

"That's one idea," Inuyasha agreed. "It gives us a pretty good lead to follow anyways. We hadn't really thought to look at the jewel, did we?"

Kagome just shook her head. She opened her mouth to walk into dangerous territory but hesitated. What would happen if she asked? She decided against speaking. The decision she and Inuyasha had made was final. Nothing was going on between them.

Nothing. They were just friends now and again. And that was the end of the story.

"So," Kagome said, pulling away from Inuyasha's warmth. "It's almost two in the morning. Are you hungry?"

It was then that Kagome got a call. Her face paled and she handed the phone to Inuyasha slowly.

"Hello?"

"_Trying keeping your phone charged, will you? I haven't be able to reach you for the past couple hours and we needed you."_

"Whoa, Sango, relax."

"_Relax?! Relax! With Naraku confessing to the murders, Korari shot and now in the hospital and NARAKU DISAPPEARING behind our very eyes, I think not! Get your ass down here or I will personally shoot you."

* * *

_

Inuyasha and Kagome made it to the station within fifteen minutes and by the time they got there Sango was practically having a heart attack. She was talking to Hiten and Manten, cursing them for letting Naraku escape.

"This isn't the bloody olden days, you idiots! How the hell could he have gotten out?" Sango screamed.

Manten put his hand up and opened his mouth to speak but Sango gave him a look so dirty and so vile that he shut it back up again.

"We have a spare uniform in the far back so it was easy for him to sneak out, even without the uniform. But _you_, you were supposed to be watching him. Goddammit!"

"Alright Sango," Inuyasha said, putting a hand on her shoulder and startling her. "Come on. Give me a full report of the last eighteen hours."

If looks could kill, Inuyasha would already be forty-feet under.

"You want a report? Fine. While you went gallivanting off to solve your non-existent love life, _I_ did some work. Naraku had confessed to killing Yuri, Kirara and Nazuna. But, he had no ties to both Yuri and Kirara so we went to Korari Takeda to find them. She went back on his schedule for us and I was talking to her for about twenty or so minutes when Miroku burst in. At that moment, someone shot from behind. If Miroku hadn't got me out of the way, I would have died."

"And what about Korari?" Inuyasha asked.

"Critical condition at the hospital," Sango whispered. "They don't know if she's going to make it. She took a shot to the chest."

Inuyasha grimaced and said, "Did you get a good look of our guy?"

"Yeah, it was Naraku. I wasn't sure at first because I thought he was at the _station_ but these two freaks screwed up."

Hiten and Manten cringed when she looked at them but Inuyasha paid no heed. "Alright, I want everyone out there. On the outskirts and block every route out of Trite. No one gets out today until I give word."

"What about the people Inuyasha?" Kagome asked. "Surely they'll know something is going on. What if it starts a riot?"

"Shit," Inuyasha cursed. Looking towards Hiten, Inuyasha ordered, "Get the mayor on the phone, now."

"Yes sir, chief."

"Sango, I want you to organize teams. I want people in cars and I want people on the streets taking care of things. I'm not sure how people are going to react but I have this funny feeling it won't be good."

"It shouldn't be too bad," Miroku finally commented. "It is almost three in the morning. If we're lucky, no one will ever know."

"Oh trust me," Inuyasha said with a rueful smile. "They will."

* * *

"Kagome, we need to talk."

Kagome lifted her head from the cradle of her arms and groaned. "What Miroku?" She was tired and cranky, it was five in the morning, and all she had done so far was drink cups upon cups of coffee.

Crappy coffee, more specifically.

"How did you know about Naraku?"

Kagome had been expecting that question, knowing that sooner or later, Miroku would've caught on.

She had been hoping for later though since she was asking the same question herself.

She decided that honesty was probably the best factor in it. "I didn't," she admitted. "I got a phone call from a woman. She was begging me to call you and tell you to go inside. I don't know who she was but…she sounded desperate. Then my imaginary friend told me that I should trust her. God only knows how many people I've learned to trust lately."

Miroku stared at Kagome deadpanned for a couple minutes before standing up. "I need some coffee."

"Good idea," she agreed, lifting a paper cup from the table. "Could you get me some too?"

Miroku took her cup and left the conference room to get the coffee. The room was silent, everyone out patrolling the streets for Naraku. With Inuyasha's phone still dead, he took hers and now Kagome felt like she was left in the dark.

All Kagome wanted to do right now was sleep and pray that when she woke up, it was all just one big nightmare.

One big nightmare…

_It's a lie._

Kagome sighed and banged her head on the wooden table. Of all the times for her imaginary friend to show up, now was not a good time. She had practically disappeared for the last couple days and then talked to her once this morning, almost twenty-four hours ago.

_I hadn't left._

Well obviously. The universe wasn't that merciful.

_Naraku didn't kill them._

'Naraku didn't kill Yuri, Kirara and Nazuna?' Kagome thought, letting the information sink in. 'How do you know?'

_I'll consider that a rhetorical question._

Even her imaginary friend was grumpy. Wasn't the world all smiles and sunshine?

_You know it's not._

'But what do I do? If they put Naraku away for murder and that means the real killer is still on the loose… Still able to kill.'

_Naraku won't have an alibi. Everything will fall into place. It's a jigsaw puzzle and all the wrong pieces are fitting to create a new messed up picture._

Well whoever said life was fair?

_It's a picture of death Kagome. The pieces of this new twisted puzzle create death._

Picasso painted twisted pictures. They were all pieces too and they are still famous today. It couldn't be any different.

_You have to break him Kagome. He didn't murder them though he did try to shoot Sango._

'But he got Korari instead. Was it because Sango was trying to find his alibi and Naraku couldn't have that? Because if Sango did find it, then he wouldn't be suspected of murder.'

_Exactly._

'Then how do I make him confess the truth? How do I get him to admit?'

Kagome was stirred out of her thoughts when Miroku came back, panting. "They found him Kagome. They got Naraku and they're bringing him in."

_You better think fast. Time's running out._

How many times had she heard that one today?

* * *

"Why did you try to kill Officer Houko? Why?" Inuyasha yelled, banging his hands on the table and staring Naraku directly in the eye.

Naraku said nothing, refusing to speak. He had not yet called for a lawyer and he still claimed that he was guilty on the count of killing the three girls for the reason that they reminded him of Kikyo. Right now, Inuyasha was trying to figure out why, if he had readily confessed to killing them, that he would break free and try to kill Sango. He was going to jail anyways.

"Was Sango your final intended target?"

Naraku still remained silent and Inuyasha growled, kicking one of the chairs over and leaving the room, slamming the door shut behind him. From behind the one-way looking glass peeking into the interrogation room, Kagome and Sango sat.

"He's not cracking," Sango hissed. "That bastard."

Kagome, like Naraku, didn't say anything. She merely wandered in thought about what to do. Her imaginary friend's words still haunted her mind.

"By the way," Sango said, turning to face the still silent Kagome. "That was a good idea you had about the jewel. We hadn't thought about looking from that point of view."

Then, it clicked.

"Sango, I need to talk to Naraku."

"Whoa, what?" Sango asked, completely thrown off balance by Kagome's declaration. "You need to what?"

"Talk to Naraku. Now."

"I don't think that's a good idea," Sango said uneasily.

"I know how to make him talk."

"Then talk to Inuyasha, not me. But I warn you, he's pretty pissed off."

"When isn't he?" Kagome remarked sarcastically and left the room with a confused Sango.

"Inuyasha!" Kagome shouted; walking into the police chief's office without reluctance. "Inuyasha!"

"What do you want?" Inuyasha hissed. He was sitting at his chair, his head in his hands and his silvery bangs covering his eyes.

"I know how to make him talk."

"And pigs can fly."

Kagome smirked. "I think I see one just outside the window."

Inuyasha glared at her, shaking his head. "This isn't a game Kagome. Sango was right; I haven't been paying enough attention. I haven't been doing enough."

"There was nothing you could do," Kagome retorted. "We had zilch for leads until this showed up. But trust me Inuyasha I know how to make him talk."

"And how's that?"

"The jewel," Kagome repeated. "Sango said that Naraku didn't have an alibi for any of the night's the three girls were killed. His motive is fair and I don't doubt he has the ability to kill someone without remorse. Mr. Mizuka, the only person that Naraku saw before the murder of Kirara. The timing was perfect and Naraku almost had an alibi but after checking with Mr. Mizuka, we learned that Naraku had cancelled just an hour before."

"And your point is?"

"That if Naraku really is the killer, he'd have the jewel. He'd have a reason for having it. I think you should play it dumb. Ask about the little 'tokens of affection' and why all the 'secretive clues' left behind every time. Make him answer Inuyasha and I'll bet you'll find that we only have a broken minded man who you can only charge for attempted murder."

Inuyasha looked at Kagome before smirking and standing up. He didn't thank her which Kagome would digress about later, but for now, she just watched him go back into the room.

* * *

His words were fierce, every second calculating and meaningful. Sometimes Inuyasha would wait for an answer while others how would cut him off just before Naraku could speak. By the end of it, Naraku was confused. He had no idea about the jewel shards. Naraku was no more apart of the murders then the mayor was.

When Inuyasha came back out of the room, Naraku wanted a lawyer but Inuyasha had gotten his information. Naraku wasn't the killer.

The killer was still out there, waiting and watching.

He had made a fool of them all.

By the time Inuyasha had come out, it was seven in the morning and many officers were going home to sleep for a bit. Inuyasha ordered most of them because they didn't want to leave but the chief knew none of them functioned well on three hours of sleep and bitter coffee.

Just then, the door to the police station opened and inside walked a woman that looked to be around thirty. She had dark brown hair and a patch around one of her eyes. A searching brown eye was there for the other one and when she walked in, the first thing her good eye landed on was Kagome, who looked at the woman in curiosity.

"You must be Kagome," the woman said. "I'm sorry for bursting in like this but desperate times call for desperate measures. Let me introduce myself: my name is Kaede Hidaka. I was Kikyo's little sister and I am here to bring important news."

* * *

_**Next Chapter: **Surprises- If only Kagome knew the danger that was to follow. If only Kagome knew the consequences. If only Kagome knew the blackness that surrounded her would soon be permanent._

**_Please Review! And Happy Holidays everyone! I hope you have a good one!_**


	26. Surprises

_**We are so close to the end...**_

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha

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_Chapter Twenty-Five: Surprises

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_

"…What?" Kagome asked, looking at Kaede. "You're Kikyo's sister?"

Kaede nodded her head. "Yes. My sister and I had lived apart. I live four hours away from here, in the city." She shook her head sadly and hastily tucked a strand of black almost violet hair behind an ear. "We weren't close. I only truly knew her as a child."

Sango gave a rueful smile. "I'm sorry to hear that and I'm sorry for your loss."

Kaede shook her head. "It's been a long while. Please, it's not needed."

"So if I may ask," Inuyasha said, giving a skeptical look at the woman, "what are you doing here?"

"Inuyasha!" Kagome scolded and huffed. He could just be so rude sometimes.

"To see Kagome, of course," Kaede said evenly, dismissing the chief's discourtesy. "There is much to talk about."

"Then why don't we go in the conference room," Sango suggested, looking towards Inuyasha. "Okay?"

When Inuyasha did nothing but grumble, they all made their way into the spacious room. Everyone took their place at the desk and Kaede reluctantly took a seat next to Sango.

"Kagome, you can hear the dead, can you not?"

Kagome look bewildered, her eyes widening. "What…? How did you know?"

Kaede looked around the room, a small smile on her face that echoed the vast knowledge she held. Her grey eyes hovered over at Kagome and then lowered to the desk. "It is because I am a healer -one who has psychic powers as well. I can feel your power radiating off of you. Any psychic can really only I have a secondary ability that is able to tell which kind."

Inuyasha sighed and rested his head in his hands. "I'm just going to pretend I have a clue what this is about."

Kagome instinctively touched the jewel that hung around her neck. "She's psychic Inuyasha, it's that simple."

"Uh-huh. Well, that's the last thing I needed, another damn psychic."

"You only know two Inuyasha," Kagome commented but Inuyasha snorted.

"One psychic is enough, thank you very much."

Rolling her eyes and turning her attention back to Kaede, she warily watched as the young woman grinned. "Ah, lovers?"

Kagome coughed, her chocolate eyes wide and Inuyasha, beside her, wasn't doing so well either.

"No," Kagome said finally, unable to look at Inuyasha. "We're not."

Kaede frowned. "Then why such a strong connection?"

Miroku leaned forward, licking his lips. "You can tell?"

"Of course I can," Kaede said. "It's so strong that I can practically see it."

Miroku rubbed his nose, sighing and closing his eyes. "Can you tell us more about it? This connection they have is apparent, since when they hold hands and Kagome goes too deep, he goes with. Or if Inuyasha wants to, he can just touch her and drag them both into the void."

Kaede's brows rose high. "Really now? That's new to even me. I may only be thirty but I have met many psychics though I have to admit, I have never come across this before. Well, what will be, will be."

About to ask what she meant by that, Kagome was cut off by Inuyasha who growled. "So you came hear just to talk to Kagome? About her abilities? In case you haven't noticed we're in the middle of an ongoing investigation."

Kaede nodded. "Oh, I know all about it. Three women are dead, each killed for a specific trait."

Inuyasha's growl, if anything, became louder. "And how the hell would you know?"

"I am also clairvoyant," Kaede murmured, just loud enough for them to hear. "I know things without purpose or need. You see, I have two abilities and one smaller ability. I am a healer primarily, a clairvoyant and I also have the power to read what other psychic's abilities are." Kaede's eyes narrowed at Inuyasha, as if studying him but then merely turned away and looked at Kagome again. "But as I received these three powers, Kikyo only got one. A unique ability it was and the only other person known to have it is Kagome. It's the ability to not see the dead, but be able to speak and hear them always. Surely mediums can talk to them but they have to open themselves up to actually _see_. Kagome and Kikyo, on the other hand, are always open which makes it not only more dangerous but more mentally draining. Kagome cannot stop the voices, no matter what she tries."

"Well we already knew that," Kagome said quietly. "I was able to write their murders. While the victims were being brutally killed and tortured, I write their life story."

"Another interesting ability," Kaede agreed. "One Kikyo did not have I'm afraid and I don't believe another has it."

Kaede checked her watch and frowned slightly at the time. "It figures," she murmured and then addressed the group. "I'm terribly sorry but I have to go. Duty calls."

* * *

Ami lay down in the hospital bed, rubbing her face gently. For the past couple days, everything had seemed that much harder. But of course, things that she couldn't explain had just popped into her life and now she had to deal with them.

Dr. Bouma walked into the room, checking on the other patient the hospital room provided and talking to the young man briefly. Ami just sighed and closed her eyes, pretending to be asleep. She didn't want to talk to Dr. Bouma at the moment too much was on her mind.

Sadly, it seemed to be inevitable.

"Miss. Dai?"

Ami groaned and looked at the doctor with bored eyes. She really wasn't up to this.

"I'm sorry for disturbing you but I just came to tell you that in an hour your psychiatrist is coming to visit. She just wants to talk."

Ami nodded and closed her eyes again. Even though she couldn't see, she could tell that the doctor hesitantly left, looking at her for a long while before actually doing so.

Talking to someone and sharing her feelings was the last thing she felt like doing.

* * *

"Don't you agree?"

Inuyasha shook his head and sighed. "You can but not me. I need to work on this case Kagome. Naraku isn't the killer and the real one is out there making a fool of us all. There's only one more victim left and who knows when he's going to kill?"

"Not now!" Kagome exclaimed. "Nazuna was only murdered two days ago. Surely he wouldn't-"

"And how would you know?" Inuyasha snapped. "Are the voices telling you when the next kill is going to be? Are they telling you that this is hopeless?"

Kagome was taken aback. "Well, no, but-"

"Then I can't stop."

Kagome looked at Inuyasha for a moment and then realized how hard this was for him. Three murdered women, no answers, no leads, no breaks and knowing the fact that there is only one more left couldn't help. He couldn't just let this killer get away and not do anything. Trite would go into a bigger frenzy then they were now.

The town had been unusually quiet as of last, the murders the only thing come out of people's mouths. Everyone woke up and got outside around eight and went home at six. Shops weren't open as long; people didn't roam the streets…

It was a nightmare.

"Look," Inuyasha said suddenly. "I'm sorry but I can't stop. I can't let him get away. But you need to get some sleep. I'm half-demon so I can last with fewer hours so please, go home with Miroku and/or Sango and get a good rest."

Kagome felt bad. She couldn't believe she had argued with him about his job and what he had to do. _He_ didn't have to do anything _she_ said. And she certainly couldn't tell him how to do his job.

"I'm sorry Inuyasha," Kagome whispered. "I think I'm going to go home for a bit, rest up and then be back around six, okay?"

"Sounds fine. Make sure you have Miroku with you at all times. I don't want you left alone," Inuyasha said as he looked down at a bunch of papers.

Kagome found Miroku in Sango's office and asked if he could accompany her home and stay with her for a bit.

"Sure," Miroku said. "Let me just tell Sango."

Kagome winked and smiled. "Oh of course, don't leave without telling your lover."

Miroku grinned from ear to ear but shook his head and ran off. Five minutes later he caught up with Kagome and they made their way back to the house. By three o'clock, Kagome was settling down for her afternoon nap and it took her only mere seconds for sleep overtook her.

If only Kagome knew the danger that was to follow.

If only Kagome knew the consequences.

If only Kagome knew the blackness that surrounded her would soon be permanent.

If Kagome knew that, maybe she wouldn't have left the station.

Because ten minutes after Kagome fell asleep, a dark figure slipped out of Kagome's closet, the haunted face looking her features over before gently bringing her into their arms and smuggling her out after narrowly being missed by her companion.

Shifting Kagome's position while sliding through one of the large windows, Kagome started to stir.

"Hmm," she asked groggily and started to open her eyes.

She didn't get a chance to scream though as a cloth was draped over her nose and mouth and she was knocked out.

Kagome didn't get a chance to struggle or fight but Kagome did get one thing.

She saw her capturer –the killer.

And couldn't believe her very eyes because suddenly, it all made sense.

"Bye, bye princess," the dark and luring voice of the monster carrying her whispered. "Bye, bye."

* * *

"_Is this Mr. Taisho?" _a polite female voice on the other end asked.

"Yes it is," Inuyasha said, rather tightly. He just wanted the information, nothing else.

"_I'm calling you back regarding the request of information of Ayomi Higurashi. Now normally we wouldn't give this information away but because of-"_

"I'm very sorry," Inuyasha said curtly, "but if you could just give me the information, that would be great. Since you are aware of the current situation, we just need the basics and nothing else."

"_Um, sorry sir,"_ the woman said. _"I got the information you needed. You asked if a jewel was buried along with Ayomi Higurashi's body and I have to tell you that it wasn't. Papers, a couple toys and necklaces… but other then that there was nothing. Nothing even resembling a jewel."_

"Thank you very much."

"_Have a good day," _she said and then hung up.

She was lucky she did hang up because if she had waited a split second longer she would've gotten an earful about Inuyasha's day so far.

Just then, Sango rushed into the room. "Chief! I got a hold of Kagome's mother's executor! He says that if you call in about twenty minutes he'd answer any questions you had."

Inuyasha sighed, relieved. "Great. Thanks Sango. Where's Ayame? How's she doing with that picture of Kikyo?"

Sango shrugged. "I don't know but last I heard she thought she might be able to get it tonight. She asked Kaede when she was here but she didn't have any."

Inuyasha cursed. "Figures. I wonder why that broad was here anyways."

Once again, Sango shrugged, saying, "Beats me."

IT was then that Kouga peeked his head in the conference room. "Sango, chief, news. Korari Takeda is fine. Dr. Nogami called saying that she's been taken out of critical condition and that the bullet has been removed."

Sango gave a short, relief-filled laugh. "Seriously?"

When Kouga nodded, that wolfish smile covering his features, Sango smiled and put a hand to her heart. "Oh thank God. Remind me to tell Miroku later," she told Kouga and when he nodded and left the room, she sighed.

"Alright," Inuyasha said, checking the clock on the wall. "It's been around twenty-minutes. I'm going to give that executor a call. Where did you put his number?"

"On your desk," Sango said and then Inuyasha left the room.

He easily found a small purple post-it note that contained a phone number in dark blue ink and praying that this was his lucky break, Inuyasha dialled the number.

"_Hello? Haru Sato here."_

"Hello Mr. Sato, this is Inuyasha Taisho, chief of Trite police. I'm calling in request of some information from a woman named Ayomi Higurashi's will."

"_Ah, yes. Now, I'm doing you a favour here but I'm afraid that I can't give you any information that you can take to court without a beneficiary at hand. Things like this cannot be leaked out…"_

"I'm actually engaged to Ayomi's daughter, Mr. Sato, her name is Kagome Higurashi," Inuyasha lied, but he needed the information now and time was running out. He could feel it.

After sorting through a couple obstacles, Inuyasha was finally able to get the executor to concede.

"_The only beneficiary in this case was her daughter Kagome. Some money went to charities and such but house, furniture, belongings…it all went to her."_

"Anyone else?"

"_No."_

"You lie." It was a wild guess and quite a risky one too, but he needed to try. "Are you sure that there wasn't any secret wishes that you were to fulfill, even behind Kagome's back?"

Hesitation filled the phone and Inuyasha continued, knowing he was right. "Please Mr. Sato, that information may be crucial for this investigation."

Mr. Sato on the other end sighed. _"Yes, I feared it would. There was…one thing that Ayomi asked me to do for her without her daughter's knowledge. A small jewel –a family heirloom I presume- was to be brought and given to her other daughter."_

"Other daughter?" Inuyasha asked.

"_Yes. Her name wasn't mentioned but an address was given. If you want I can give you the address and the orphanage she got it from."_

"Yes," Inuyasha said, numbly scribbling down the information. "Thanks."

When he hung up his phone and cradled it, he yelled out for Sango. "I want you to research this address," he ordered harshly, giving her a slip of paper. "ASAP."

"Yes chief," Sango said and left for her office, the computer already on.

Turning on his own computer, Inuyasha waited impatiently as it booted up, going on the Internet several minutes later and looking up the orphanage. It took a while to get anything about it because it was so small and hadn't got enough funding so eventually it was shut down.

"Chief," Sango called; running back into his office. "The address you gave me has now been renovated. At one point it was a small house in a subdivision but they destroyed it and turned it into a shopping mall. The address is about ten years old."

"Shit," Inuyasha cursed and then highlighted with his mouse the name and cell number of the old orphanage owner. "Bingo."

Knowing that getting anything at all from the small lead would be far-fetched, Inuyasha knew he had to try.

Dialling up the number, Inuyasha waited as it rang and was extremely surprised to hear someone answer it.

"_Yes?"_

"Uh…Mrs. Yanaka?" Inuyasha asked hesitantly.

"_Yes?"_ The voice was of an elderly lady.

Thank the Lord. "I'm Inuyasha Taisho and I'm the chief of the Trite police. We're investigating a murder at the moment."

"_Oh, I've heard all about that."_

"Yes ma'am, well I was wondering if you could try and help me."

"_Shoot."_

"This is about the orphanage you used to run. I don't know when the time was, maybe around seven years ago but an executor named Haru Sato called to get the address and phone number of a girl you used to take care of."

"_Oh, yes I remember that. It was a very strange day."_

Inuyasha couldn't help but smirk at the old lady's comments but didn't say anything. "Do you remember the name of the girl he was looking for?"

"_Nope, can't say I do," _the woman said. _"But I do remember that child. She was a strange one, always staying to herself and not playing with the others. But I guess that's to be expected considering what he mother did to her."_

"Mrs. Yanaka, could you please tell me?" Inuyasha practically begged.

"_The woman was a caretaker of some sort and I remember getting the feeling that she got knocked up one night. She didn't come in with her husband though she had a wedding ring on."_

"Thank you very much," Inuyasha said politely, taking in all the information and looking at Sango who just stared at him. When he cradled the receiver, Sango asked what he learned.

"Kagome has a half-sister."

"What?" Sango asked. "But why wouldn't she tell us?"

"Because I don't think she knew," Inuyasha whispered, trying to piece it all together. "And whoever this half-sister is has the other half of Kagome's jewel."

* * *

"Ami Dai?"

Ami sat in a chair that sat beside a window. Without turning around, Ami answered. "Yes?"

"Your doctor, Shiori Bouma, asked for me to take care of you for a bit considering everything you've been through."

"Yes, I know she has," Ami said; her voice quiet. "I've been expecting you. You're late."

"Yes, I know I am," the woman behind her said. "I had business to take care of and ended up running late. I apologize. All I want to do today though is talk."

"About what?" Ami asked.

"Anything. Your favourite colour, if Pepsi is better then Coca Cola…whatever you feel like."

It was then that Ami turned around to face the woman, her psychiatrist. She had long black hair and a startling patch over one eye. "What is your name?"

"My name is Kaede Hidaka. So, do you mind if I sit down to talk?"

"Yes, yes that's fine."

"And what would you like to talk about Ami?"

"The paranormal," Ami said after a bit. "I would like to talk about psychics."

* * *

_**Next Chapter: **Only Hope- "Wait a minute…" Kaede whispered, looking over her client a little more carefully. "You're-"_

_**Only two more chapters until the end! And YES we're getting closer to the killer! Who thinks they know who it is? I'd like to hear your guesses because I know I've twisted this so bad for you! Thanks for all of your support guys, I really appreciate it!**_


	27. Only Hope

**_I don't own him._**

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_Chapter Twenty-Six: Only Hope_

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_She sleeps like an angel._

_But this angel is going to Hell._

_She sleeps like royalty._

_But this princess is going to end the war._

_The war she started._

_Twenty-eight years ago. _

_When I was born._

_I never understood abandon._

_But now I get revenge._

_Say bye now princess._

_And this time, you're white knight isn't going to come.

* * *

_

"You mean the Great Fall?"

"Yes child," Kaede said in a quiet voice. "Four hundred and thirty-two people in that building. One hundred and seven died instantly. The others we're all seriously injured."

"How many?"

"Did I save?" Kaede asked to clarify. "Ninety-eight."

"No," Ami said, looking up from the floor to meet Kaede's unwavering gaze. "How many did you lose?"

"Many doctors lost their patients. It couldn't be helped. I saw ninety-nine people from that wreck. I lost one."

"Who?"

"Haku Ohta, father of three and married. He died saying their names…"

"That must have been difficult."

"You can't save them all, even with gifts. It took me a while to understand that."

"Everyone feels guilt during death. It's hard to accept. It makes you wonder how monsters can walk the earth and embrace it."

"They are monsters," Kaede agreed. "Full of evil and hatred, these monsters take it as a blessing."

"So you're a psychic?" Ami asked, looking towards her psychiatrist with interest.

"I am," Kaede said. "I'm a healer, a clairvoyant and I also have the ability to tell if another person is psychic and what ability he or she has."

Ami looked at Kaede with a curious look. "So I take it you've talked to Kagome?"

Kaede frowned, her eyebrows furrowing and her nose scrunching up. "How would you know?"

"I just…know." Ami sighed. "I'm sorry; I don't know much of it myself."

"Wait a minute…" Kaede whispered, looking over her client a little more carefully. "You're-"

Ami gave a ghost of a smile. "I wondered if you'd figure it out."

And it was then that a sudden blinding pain overwhelmed, and one's vision went black.

* * *

"You can't be serious chief," Sango said, her eyes wide in disbelief. "Kagome having a half-sister and not even knowing it?"

Inuyasha sat at his desk, his head in his hands as he tried to piece it together. "It's…possible. If Kagome's mother put up the child for adoption before Kagome got a chance to really know her baby sister, then there's always the possibility that she has one."

"So this half-sister has the other half of the jewel?"

"Apparently, yes."

Sango sat down on the seat that sat on the other side of his desk. "Then there would be good motive," she stated. "Not being kept. If Kagome didn't know, then the girl must have tried to find her family."

"Only to find she had an older sister because the first killings started after Kagome's mother died."

"That makes sense. Did she tell you that?" Sango asked.

"Yeah," Inuyasha nodded and then frowned. "But, why not keep the child?"

"They couldn't afford it?" Sango suggested.

Inuyasha shook his head. "Money wasn't the problem. Maybe…Kagome's mother had an affair?"

"How would you know money wasn't the problem?"

Inuyasha met Sango's gaze. "The connection we have… It let us see each other's memories. I basically know her entire life."

"And she knows yours?"

Inuyasha nodded. "Kagome's parents lived and worked at some sort of hotel. Say…Kagome's mother had an affair with one of the clients. She gets pregnant. The client is probably already gone so she's left with a baby. Kagome would've only been a young kid then."

"So then when Kagome's father found out, he wanted to get rid of it."

Inuyasha mused that thought for a moment, remembering what Kagome told him. 'Maybe that's why Kagome's father was so abusive to her mother. The fact that she cheated on him.'

"So the profile has now been changed," Sango stated. "We're looking for a female –not a male. Younger then thirty-three."

"But there's a lot of them in Trite," Inuyasha said. "It's going to be hard to find out who it is. Dammit."

Just then Ayame poked her head in. "Chief, I have some news."

"What is it Ayame?" Inuyasha asked.

"I found a picture of Kikyo at the high school she went to. Something just turned up. I sent Kouga to get it."

"Alright, so now we may have a definite picture of the next victim."

"Hopefully," Sango added. Then, both Sango and Inuyasha filled Ayame in on what they found out. "So let's think about this. Who could the killer be? This girl has to be strong, both mentally and physically. She kills every five years, one woman every seven days."

Ayame thought about it. Something was just so familiar… "The twenty-eight year old grudge," Ayame whispered.

"What?" Sango asked.

"It's a pattern," Ayame said. "Don't you see? If the girl was orphaned and she's jealous because she was given up, wouldn't the grudge start from when you were born? Even if you didn't know, she had unknowingly suffered for twenty-eight years. The killer has to be around twenty-eight."

"Five…one…seven," Inuyasha murmured. Then, he remembered something. "Kagome was five when her mother had the baby."

Sango was about to ask but remembered the connection. Even when you're a young child, you notice things about parents. "So five represents the age gap between the two sisters. One and seven… January seventh!"

Ayame gave Sango a questioning glance and one look from Inuyasha made her explain. "January seventh is the date of Tsubaki's birthday! Tsubaki is twenty-eight, she moved to Trite when she was young…"

"It fits," Inuyasha agreed. "Ayame, get everyone together. Sango, get a warrant. We're going to pay Tsubaki a visit."

It took twenty minutes for all of them to get ready. By the time they were all assigned groups and cars and a plan was made, it was around four-thirty. Tsubaki's house was easy enough to get to since she lived in the heart of Trite and as the police circled around her house, some from the backstreets and others from the far side.

"Sango, you ready?" Inuyasha asked, getting out of the police cruiser.

"Ready," Sango confirmed and the two casually strolled up the walkway, looking bored but extremely alert.

"There aren't any lights on," Sango said.

Inuyasha cursed quietly but still went to the door and knocked. He saw his men –and Ayame- stationed around the house. No answer came.

Inuyasha waved for Hiten to come to the door. He held in his hands an instrument made to bash in the doorknob so it would immediately unlock and open.

"Tsubaki Mizuka," Inuyasha called. "This is Trite police. We have a warrant to search your house. Open the door."

When no noise could be heard, Inuyasha nodded and Hiten bashed the door, taking him three swings before it was knocked open and Ayame rushed in, gun at the ready. Sango, Manten and Inuyasha were right behind him, as well as a couple other officers.

"Clear!" Ayame yelled after searching a couple rooms.

"Clear!" Sango yelled.

"Clear!" Inuyasha repeated and then they all met in the kitchen. "She's gone."

"Her clothes are still there though, all her jewellery. Nothing's missing but I don't think her car is parked in the garage."

"Double-check," Inuyasha told Sango and then suddenly, his phone went off.

"What?" Inuyasha growled when he flipped open the phone.

"_Chief, I think you'll want to take a look at this,"_ Kouga's voice was unmistakable.

"What is it Kouga?"

"_I have the picture of Kikyo and if I didn't know better, I'd say that it would be Kagome's twin."_

"Kagome?" And it was then that it all made sense. He couldn't believe he just hadn't put two and two together.

And she was at home.

Not with him.

He hung up without any more words and then dialled Miroku's number. He wasn't met with a 'hello' however, but a frantic cry.

"_Inuyasha! Kagome's gone!" _

Inuyasha felt his blood go cold.

"_I don't know where she is but she left her cell phone and certainly didn't talk to me. I think… I think she was taken."_

He couldn't speak.

"_There's a big window in the shrine and it's open, just a crack so you wouldn't notice if you weren't looking, but it's still open. I think that's how he got her."_

Finally, Inuyasha found the voice to speak. "…It's a she. I'll be over in a second."

When he shut the flip phone, Sango, Ayame, Hiten, Manten and the rest of his workers just stared at him.

"Chief?" Sango asked hesitantly. "Kagome…she isn't…"

"Get in the Goddamned cars _now!_"

Nothing else needed to be said.

It took fifteen-minutes to get to Kagome's house but to Inuyasha it felt like forever. He felt numb and cold. So very, very cold. Kagome was gone, taken.

Kagome could be dead.

Dead.

And cold.

"_Chief!"_ Sango screamed, stirring Inuyasha out of his thoughts.

He didn't say anything though, but his ears flickered in her direction.

"Don't think that way," Sango said. "She's going to be okay. She's not…"

Inuyasha stared at her but Sango didn't back down.

"Don't look at me like that, you know I'm right. You were thinking that she was dead. Well, she isn't so stop zoning out, you're scaring me."

"Scaring you?" Inuyasha hissed. He laughed bitterly. "Sango, you don't know the half of it."

Sango didn't comment for two reasons. One: there was nothing she could say and two: they were at the house. Miroku came rushing out, his face drained of colour and his eyes shiny. It looked like he was on the verge of crying.

Sango ran out of the car and jumped into his arms, knowing that it was the least she could do. She couldn't take away his pain but if he knew she was there…maybe he wouldn't feel so alone. Sango buried her face in the crook of his neck and she could feel Miroku's grip around her back. He held her so tightly Sango wasn't sure if she could breathe, but she said nothing.

Right now, Miroku needed her and that was the important thing.

"She's gone," he whispered, so brokenly Sango almost burst into tears right then and there. "She's gone."

"Shh," Sango hushed, rocking him slightly. "We're going to find her. We're going to get her back."

"Please…" Miroku murmured and then held her for a moment longer before letting her –slowly- go. Inuyasha was no where in sight and when Miroku walked towards the house, Sango touched his hand gently and felt his large hand grasp hers. They found the police chief in the room, standing before the large window Miroku had described.

"This is definitely how Tsubaki got in and out."

"Tsubaki?" Miroku asked. "What are you talking about?"

"Tsubaki Mizuka is the killer. Tsubaki Mizuka is Kagome's half-sister."

Miroku paled even more and looked at Sango like she was insane. "Half-sister?"

"Same mother," Sango said, nodding. "I'll explain it later but right now we have to find Kagome."

"I think I can help you," a quiet voice said from behind and when the three spun around, they came face-to-face with Ami Dai.

"What are you doing out of the hospital?" Inuyasha asked. "What are you doing here?"

"I know where Kagome is."

"_What_?" Inuyasha exclaimed. "Wait, what the hell is going on?"

"I brought her here," another voice said and then Kaede came in the door, poking her head around before showing herself.

"I saw Kagome," Ami said, still quiet. "She was in a dark place…"

"_What the hell is going on?"_ Inuyasha screamed. "Tell me!"

"Ami is psychic," Kaede said. "She's a Seer, like Miroku's mother. And she saw Kagome."

* * *

_I did it._

_It's only a matter of time now._

_Let the fun begin._

_Come out, come out Inuyasha. Save the princess._

_Save the bitch._

_Because time is running out and Kagome's life is in your hands._

_Come and find me._

_Tag you're it.

* * *

_

"What did you see?" Inuyasha asked; his voice sounding both desperate and rushed. "Where is she?"

"I don't…know exactly where she is," Ami said quickly, still in that hushed voice. "I know she's confined somewhere, in the dark. There's something…smooth at her feet but I don't know how big of a room she's in. She's alive, but knocked out."

"For how long?" Inuyasha asked.

"I don't know."

"How long?" he repeated.

"I don't know."

"Dammit Ami, what help is-"

_Shut up you jerk… She's trying._

Kagome?

Inuyasha stopped dead in his tracks, his words cut off and his eyes wide. Did he just hear Kagome? He swore that was her voice, scolding him for being impatient and ungrateful. No, it couldn't be her. She's not here.

Kaede frowned and studied Inuyasha, hearing his thoughts from her ability. 'Interesting,' she thought but didn't say anything.

"I'm sorry," Inuyasha said quickly. "I'm just…"

Ami gave a ghost of a smile. "Don't. But I want to help."

"Okay, well then we have to figure out where Tsubaki is. I want everyone we can afford out on the streets, looking. Tell them to check every nook, cranny and hole," he said pointedly to Sango.

Sango nodded and rushed off.

Ami tilted her head and closed her eyes. "She's…somewhere in the main part of Trite."

Inuyasha narrowed his eyes. "Wouldn't that make it so much more difficult? People could see her… I don't get it."

"The area is…fairly secluded, but still in the heart of it."

Inuyasha took in that information. "Well, that will stop us from wasting our time on the outskirts. Are you positive?"

"Yes."

"Alright then."

Sango ran in. "Inuyasha, call Sesshomaru."

"Why?" Inuyasha asked harshly.

"We have no clue where Tsubaki is," Sango started. "But she did leave us those notes after every murder. Maybe there's a clue in one of them."

Inuyasha sighed. "It's a possibility."

Dialling Sesshomaru's number, Inuyasha updated his half-brother about the situation.

"_Alright, Kagura and I will get to the station and I'll call you the minute I know something."_

"Okay, thanks," Inuyasha said, unbelieving that he just thanked his brother. Sesshomaru seemed to be equally shocked but didn't comment. He just hung up.

"Inuyasha," Kaede's voice called from another room and Inuyasha followed the voice to Kagome's bedroom.

"Why are you in here?" he asked angrily. "Get out."

Kaede nodded. "Fine but I understand who Tsubaki is."

Inuyasha stopped dead in his tracks, not grasping what she said. "What?"

Kaede seemed to ignore him and just walked around the room, touching fabrics and items that Kagome owned. She wasn't like Kagome in the sense that when she went too deep she went in a sort of trance, Kaede just looked a bit…zoned out. Like she wasn't really there but in a land far, far away.

"It was too easy," Kaede murmured. "She expected it to be more of a challenge."

Inuyasha didn't like the sound of that but didn't say anything, waiting patiently for the first time in his life. If Kaede had anything important to say, she would say it.

Kaede then turned to face Inuyasha. "Came through the window and hid before they got here and then when Kagome was asleep, took her. Escaped by the same means."

Inuyasha nodded. It was basically what he had suspected.

"She was chloroformed…" Kaede started but then trailed off, walking out of the bedroom and to where the window was. "Kagome woke up. Kagome saw her and then Tsubaki chloroformed her. It didn't matter though; Tsubaki could've killed Kagome in a second if she wanted to."

"Then why didn't she?"

Kaede shrugged. "I don't know. All I'm getting is something about a…test. No, more like a game."

"The notes," Inuyasha said. "The information, the psychic hints, the stories and the jewel shards –all of them were pieces of the puzzle. Put the puzzle together and you get the answer. This is like a game. Tsubaki is toying with our minds."

"Not toying… Tsubaki is…seeing if it's true. Kagome was kept and Tsubaki was given away. Tsubaki was second best. She's seeing if it's true. She's not toying with you, she's proving herself."

Inuyasha was too stunned for words so he stayed silent. Kaede seemed to understand that he needed to take it all in so she left the room, leaving him alone. Everyone was outside, doing something important to try and get Kagome back.

And what was he doing? Sitting around hoping that it was all a bad dream.

He really didn't deserve Kagome.

His ring tone stirred him out of his depressing thoughts and answering it automatically, he was vaguely surprised to hear Sesshomaru's voice.

"_We think you're right. There may be a clue in the recent note that we were given."_

"What is it?" Inuyasha asked, desperate for some sort of lead. He had to save Kagome, he just had to…

"_The line that puzzled me before was 'when two more suns by love's place.' Kagura and I figured it out. Kagome is somewhere near your house."_

"My house?!" Inuyasha exclaimed, unbelieving. "Are you sure? I mean…"

"_Logic Inuyasha. You're house is in the heart of Trite but there aren't many homes in the area. You have a lot of land, don't you?"_

"Yes."

"_Then wouldn't it only be fitting? She loves you, doesn't she?"_

Inuyasha wanted to argue but stayed silent. "Kagome is at my house. It's too easy."

"_A trap, most likely."_

"More or less what I was thinking, so thanks. I'll update you in a bit."

Inuyasha hung up and jumped into his truck, radioing everyone to his house and providing a plan of action. Giving Kaede and Ami a vague bit of information on what was happening, Inuyasha wasted no time driving towards his house, a small flat that had served him over the many years alone. It was an old place, built a long time ago but renovated to keep up with living standards.

It was like he was living a dream. Everyone followed the plan as they stalked there way to his house, surrounding the place and then screaming orders. Yelling Tsubaki's name, listing her faults, not hearing a sound and then invading the couple roomed building.

Shouts of "clear" rang through Inuyasha's ears but he didn't really digest anything until a gun shot rang through the air. Yells and orders were barked out, and a door was slammed as Tsubaki, a gun in hand, darted around the house, successfully shooting and knocking the wind out of several of the younger officers. The bullet proof vest protected them from death but the loss of air was something that couldn't be escaped.

Dropping the gun after several clicks signalling the gun was empty filled the air, Tsubaki ran to the far back of the property and chasing after her, Inuyasha and his team set out to stop her. Bound by rights and law, no one shot at her, Tsubaki being defenceless and unable to harm any longer. There was a small section where many thick coniferous trees blocked the view, but when the roar of a car engine came to life, Inuyasha could feel the muscles in the backs of his legs and arms tense up and he pushed himself forward.

He had to find Kagome, before it was too late.

Tsubaki's car tore down the back streets and Inuyasha felt a stab of pain as he watched Tsubaki escape. He couldn't let that happen. He had to find Kagome.

The safety off and levelling his gun, Inuyasha didn't hesitate before shooting a single bullet into the back right tire of Tsubaki's car and it went spinning out of control, crashing into the metal guard rail. Tsubaki stumbled out as Inuyasha caught up, his gun out and pointing at her. He opened his mouth, ordering her to get down and put her hands behind her head but then a glint of black metal caught his gaze. Tsubaki had another gun.

And she was aiming it at him.

Another gun shot resonated through the surrounding area and Sango yelled in deep panic. Tsubaki had fired.

It hit Inuyasha straight in the chest, the bullet lodged deeply dead center of his chest and lucky for him, in his bullet-proof vest. Inuyasha felt his body being forced back, a sharp pain and felt the world spinning. Tsubaki was still in his sight though and as he fell through the air towards the asphalt, he randomly shot, aiming for Tsubaki's figure.

Sango ran forward towards Inuyasha, his body sprawled on the road and automatically shouted orders. Tsubaki's shrill scream could be heard and Sango could hear Hiten's panicked voice. The gun was out of Tsubaki's hand but a bullet lodge just to the left of her chest was clear for everyone to see.

Blood poured from her body and gushed to the street, staining the grey rock an unsettling purplish-red. Her eyes glazed over and Hiten compressed around the wound, realizing that the bullet punctured her heart and her breaths were her last. Two minutes later, Tsubaki was dead and the ambulance and fire trucks filled the streets. Inuyasha was up but slightly shaken. He had killed Tsubaki, the only person who knew where Kagome was. He killed his only chance.

"Chief!" Ayame screamed; rushing up to him as EMS handled the situation. Forensics were already called and on their way but it would be a while before they showed up. "We found something!"

"W-What?" Inuyasha asked; his voice raspy and gaping.

"It's another note," Ayame said, handing Inuyasha a white piece of paper. "It was with Tsubaki."

**Tick-toc. Tick-toc.**

**Kagome will be dead in a matter of minutes.**

**You have until ten-o-four. Then she's dead.**

**Tick-toc. Tick-toc.**

**Time's running out.**

Because it was already ten-to-ten. Kagome had fourteen minutes to live.

* * *

_**Final Chapter- **Time's Up: In there lay Kagome's body, her skin as pale as the dead and her black raven hair spread out around her. Her eyes were closed and her lips were together and chapped. Her hands were clenched in tight fist by her side and her body was absolutely frozen…_

_**Please don't kill me...**_


	28. Time's Up

_**THE FINAL CHAPPIE! There's a note at the bottom!**_

**_Also, there are timers in this chapter. It goes by -minutes: seconds: milliseconds. Looking like 00:00:00._**

_**Disclaimer: Nada

* * *

**_

_Chapter Twenty-Seven: Time's Up

* * *

_

_Keep your eyes closed._

Kagome started to stir.

_Don't open your eyes. _

Kagome opened her eyes and only saw blackness.

_Don't feel your way around._

Kagome lifted her hands, moving them around to take away the pins and needles that crawled around under her skin. When they were normal again, she pushed her hands upwards, only to feel wood several inches from her face.

She tried feeling around the sides, once again feeling only wood. She pushed against it, trying her hardest to break whatever she was in.

When it didn't give away, Kagome started to feel the first stabs of panic.

_Take a deep breath, close your eyes, relax and don't move._

"Why?" Kagome whimpered into the darkness. "Where am I?"

She ignored her imaginary friend and pushed against the wood, feeling the thin air around her, feeling the waves of being enclosed overwhelming her. A little voice in her head screamed, crying… She knew where she was but she didn't listen.

It wasn't true.

It couldn't be true.

_Don't move._

"Where am I?"

_Kagome, please listen to me._

"No," Kagome said in a panicked voice. "Tell me where I am. Why is the air so thin? Why can't I breathe properly?"

The voice said nothing.

And the little voice in her head screamed out loud, letting her thoughts be heard.

"I've been buried alive."

Kagome tried to fight the overwhelming need to throw up, to scream, to shout, to plead and to cry. Kagome tried to reason with herself that none of it was true. Kagome tried and failed miserably.

_Listen to me Kagome. You're going to get out of it. Please just relax._

No, she wasn't going to relax. She couldn't.

_You'll use up all your air if you keep gasping like that. Calm down Kagome, please._

"No, no, no, no, no!" Kagome shouted. "Who are you to tell me anyways?"

Her imaginary friend was silent for a moment longer but then, the voice of the dead female whispered back.

_My name is Kikyo.

* * *

_

13:58:42

For the first time in Inuyasha's thirty-four years of life, he didn't know what to do. Kagome was gone, taken, hidden and about to die. He had less than fourteen minutes to find her or she would explode, be stabbed, decapitated…whatever Tsubaki had planned for her.

Inuyasha wasn't at all sure if he could save her.

Inuyasha wasn't at all sure if he could live with himself if he didn't.

He could imagine Kagome pressed up against some deep dark corner, whimpering and crying, cursing him for his weaknesses. Ever since Inuyasha was a child he had to prove himself to people, he had forced his marks to be good, he had studied and trained endlessly to get to where he was today and he had prided himself that he had been the youngest chief Trite had ever had.

But now, he wasn't so sure that all of his work would be worth anything if he didn't save Kagome.

Ignoring the sirens, the wails and the shouting, Inuyasha willed his body to stay standing and he tried to focus on the situation at hand: finding Kagome.

"Chief, what should we do?"

Inuyasha didn't say anything because he didn't know what to say. There was no leads, no hints, no clues.

Pardoning the pun, they were at a dead end.

"Chief!"

"I don't know Sango," he whispered roughly. "I don't have a clue."

"But there has to be something! Think Inuyasha, dammit think!"

12:00:32

"There… There's nothing we can do."

Sango started to panic. "Come on chief, don't say that! We have to save her! Don't you want to?"

The fire in Inuyasha's eyes was evident when he glared at her, pain, sorrow and helplessness buried deep within.

"What the hell do you think Sango? Do I want Kagome to die? Do you really think I don't care about her?"

"No…I didn't say that-"

"Do you think I enjoyed fighting and screaming at her, trying to fix something that couldn't be fixed? Do you think I wanted to stay away from her?"

"Chief, please, I didn't mean-"

"We thought it was for the best!" Inuyasha cried. "But it was a mistake. I couldn't stay away and I don't want to stay away. One day I wanted to tell Kagome that, to show her…"

"What are you talking about, I-"

"That it was meant to be!"

_Don't give up… It's so dark._

Inuyasha took a deep breath. He wasn't hearing things…that was Kagome, he was sure of it.

10:46:54

"Inuyasha," a voice said from behind, breaking Inuyasha out of his thoughts. He spun around to see Ami and Kaede just a few feet behind him.

"Talk to her," Kaede whispered.

"What?" Inuyasha asked. "How?"

"I know you can talk to her Inuyasha, you two have a connection so strong I've never seen anything like it. The bond you two share is unbreakable, no matter how many miles away from each other you are. Talk to her Inuyasha, I promise she'll answer."

"I don't…think I can," Inuyasha said slowly, his voice quiet.

Finally, Sango snapped, grabbing his shoulders and shaking him so much his head hurt. "Damn you bastard!" she shrieked. "Do you want Kagome back or not?"

9:29:10

"Yes."

"Do you have a connection with her?"

"…Yes."

"Do you love Kagome?"

Inuyasha stared at Sango in silence. Here he had his best friend, shaking him and screaming at him, just seconds away from slapping him until he died. She probably hated his guts right now, for all the weakness that was dragging him down.

"Do you love Kagome?" Sango repeated, this time in a whisper so quiet, it was audible only to his ears.

In the same quiet murmur, he answered. "Yes. I do."

"Then stop being such a dickhead and find her!" Sango shouted and let go of him, punching him in the stomach.

7:55:44

Inuyasha was taken by surprise and clasped his arms over his stomach, falling to his knees and gasping for breath.

_Inuyasha…please._

"Kagome," he whispered.

_Help._

'Where are you?' he asked within his mind, praying for an answer that was yet to come.

_In the ground._

'What?'

_I've been buried alive. It's so dark Inuyasha. He's done it again. _

'Who?'

_Father… I'm back in the closet. I don't want to starve._

Kagome was starting to lose it, remembering the traumatic past that affected her present so much. She thought that he was back, that he had kidnapped her and locked her back in the closet.

'When two more suns by love's place,' he thought and then suddenly, it all made sense.

6:31:59

"Sango, follow me."

Inuyasha didn't wait for her to respond and started running back to his place, passing through the coniferous forest, past fallen leaves and dead stumps towards his backyard.

"What are you doing?" Sango asked breathlessly when she caught up, only to see him feeling his way on his hands and knees on the grass.

"This place is really old, built long before Trite even became a town. I remember when I first bought this place, the couple I got it from had three children and during the time I was looking around, they were nowhere in sight. I asked them where they were and the couple said that they were in the cellar."

Sango waited for him to finish.

"But there is no cellar or basement to this place. That's what always confused me but now I see."

The sound of metal hitting metal caught Sango's attention and she watched as Inuyasha ripped off some grass and pulled open a large rusted door.

"It's an underground cellar, used for storage, tornadoes, things like that," he said and walked down a couple steps, the light pooling in from the outside barely enough to let him see.

"I need flashlights!" he yelled and within seconds, members of his team ran down the steps, lighting up the passage only to see a mound of freshly turned dirt.

3:59:21

"Shovels! We need shovels," members of the team yelled and most ran up to obtain equipment. Inuyasha just didn't care; he ran to the pile and started raking the dirt away with his fingers. He had to get to Kagome on time.

3:18:04

People started gathering around him, shovels upturning the dirt that covered Kagome. Whoever dug the hole had done it within different periods of time because the further they went down, the harder it got. The dirt was freshly packed though and it was only a matter of minutes before they felt the wood of the coffin Kagome lay in.

1:45:06

They scraped at the dirt that still covered the wooden coffin and had to dig wider or else it wouldn't open. The wood was new and strong and Inuyasha doubted they could break it without hurting Kagome in the process.

00:43:35

"Get the Goddamned crowbars ready!" Inuyasha ordered but didn't move as finally the entire coffin could be seen.

00:14:54

Members of his team started surrounding the coffin but everyone stopped dead in their tracks when they heard a small repetitive beeping.

00:00:00

Time's up.

"Shit," Sango cursed as she turned off her watch alarm. "Move! Move! Move! It's already ten-o-four!"

Inuyasha didn't know what to think or what to do. He stayed frozen to the spot as his team worked hard to pry open the wooden coffin. Soon, the first creak of the wood came and it quickly after gave away, opening until it flipped open, into the arms of the others who were waiting to grab it.

In there lay Kagome's body, her skin as pale as the dead and her black raven hair spread out around her. Her eyes were closed and her lips were together and chapped. Her hands were clenched in tight fist by her side and her body was absolutely frozen.

From somewhere behind him, Inuyasha heard Sango and Miroku cry out and he could hear Kouga holding Ayame, shushing her. But Inuyasha ignored them all and jumped into the coffin, wrapping his arms around Kagome and lifting her up.

Slowly, Kagome's eyelids started to flutter open and she gasped deeply, as if breathing for the first time.

"She's alive," he heard Miroku say shakily from above. "S-She's not dead."

Sango started crying and held on tightly to Miroku, both too overjoyed to really say anything more. Everyone was dead silent other then the subtle sobs of happiness and relief and everyone's attention was focused on the couple in the grave.

"Kagome," Inuyasha whispered, cupping her cheek. "You scared the shit out of me."

Kagome's eyes were heavy but she gave a small smile. "You jerk. This is where you're supposed to say you love me and that you didn't know how you could've lived without me and start making me all these crazy promises of marriage, a family and everlasting bliss."

Inuyasha smirked. "That will come later."

He bent down and kissed her, short but sweet and everyone cheered and smiled, moving out of Inuyasha's way as he lifted her out of the coffin and back towards the beautiful outdoors where Kagome slid out of Inuyasha's arms and cried for being alive.

* * *

"Miroku, I swear to God. Touch my ass one more time and I will break your arm off."

"I was merely wiping away some dirt, Sango. I don't see how that could be a problem. Honestly, you have such a dirty-mind if you thought I was just doing that to get a feel-"

"Miroku, shut up."

Miroku opened his mouth to continue but Kagome, who had no choice but to listen to it all, cleared her throat loudly. "Please," she said, closing her eyes and covering the lids with her hand. "I don't want to hear it. I'm tired, I'm cranky and I'm pissed off because the doctor won't let me go home."

Sango laughed and smiled. "Sorry Kagome. How are you feeling anyways?"

"I'm fine!" Kagome shouted, exasperated. "But tell the doctors that! Nothing was wrong with me other than a little trouble breathing but I think that was because trying to breathe air that doesn't exist is pretty difficult to do."

"Point taken," Miroku agreed and leaned on the footboard of the hospital bed. "But I'm sure Dr. Nogami will let you go soon."

Kagome just groaned.

"Could we come in?"

Kagome opened her eyes and smiled as she saw Kagura walk in, dragging a reluctant Sesshomaru behind.

"How's it going?" Kagura asked, looking at Sesshomaru from the corner of her eye. He just stood there, expressionless as ever, looking at the cheap painting put up on the white wall in hopes of cheering the spirits of sick patients.

If they want to bring their patients cheer, better beds would be better than funny looking paintings.

"Great. Now do me a favour," Kagome started, "and tell the doctors that."

Shaking her head, Kagura merely smiled and looked towards Sango. "Did you finish the report?"

"Oh hell no," the deputy answered, scowling.

"She's been too busy with me," Miroku added, his grin so big it reached ear to ear.

_Slap_

"Sango, relax. I didn't mean anything dirty by that. It was _you _who had the dirty-mind that made you _think _I implied it."

"Miroku?"

"Yes, dear?"

"Shut up."

"Alright."

Even to that Sesshomaru raised a brow to, realizing that the tough deputy and the perverted agent were a good –but strange- couple.

"I haven't finished it," Sango cleared up, "because of all the lies I've had to create to make it realistic. After this I can certainly say I believe in the paranormal, but others won't. Chief and I are working on creating a story that everyone can use."

"Sounds like a good idea," Kagome agreed when she heard a knock at the door. "Oh goody. Who else wants to share my bed of pain with me?"

"Hey Kagome!" Ayame said, shuffling into the hospital room with a meek look on her face. "How are you doing?"

Kagome sighed inwardly. How many times had she answered the question already? "I'm doing just fine. Pass that on to the doctors if you don't mind."

"We will," Kouga said, stepping out from behind Ayame. "Why are they keeping you in here anyways?"

"God only knows," Kagome muttered. "So what are all of you doing tonight?"

Miroku laughed. "I'm taking my Sango out to dinner."

Sango rolled her eyes but nodded, the edges of her lips curving into a smile.

Sesshomaru cleared his throat. "Kagura and I will be going back to the city. We took a long enough break as it is."

"Boss is going to kill us," Kagura murmured, shivering at the thought of feeling their boss's wrath. He was big, he was mean, and though they had asked for extra time and he had permitted it, he still wasn't going to be too pleasant about it.

Sesshomaru nodded and sighed.

"Oh you know me," Ayame said. "Chilling out at my place, pretending I have a life outside work. Maybe if I feel spontaneous I'll actually get out of bed and watch TV."

"The best way to spend a night," Kouga agreed. "I'll probably pop by your place later to get those papers done."

Ayame huffed. "I didn't want to do work. That was the point."

Kouga gave a wolfish grin but didn't further comment.

Kagome just sighed. "Well, while you guys are gallivanting off to sin your asses, I'm going to be here. Alone. Depressed. With only my book and Quinn, the hot and sexy thief who is seducing a museum director and is fulfilling a truckload of secret agendas. Did I mention that I was going to be _alone_?"

"Yes, I think you did," Sango stated. "Several times."

"Well good. I just wanted to let that guilt settle in there."

Everyone laughed; commenting on Kagome's bad mood until someone finally popped the million dollar question.

"Where's Inuyasha?" Miroku asked, looking around the room. "Wasn't he here before?"

"He left for coffee," Kagome said. "He's been here with me all night and morning. The poor guy is running on fumes."

"But he knows it will be worth it in the end," Miroku said, laughing while Kagome took her book and flung it at his head.

"You lecher! You should be ashamed."

"Would you throw something at me again if I said I wasn't?"

Kagome just sighed dejectedly and crossed her arms over her chest. "No, because I don't have anything to throw. Now give me Quinn back."

Everyone kept talking in the room until Inuyasha showed up, ultimately starting the party. Questions about the murder and Tsubaki raged through everyone's head and he tried his hardest to answer the questions properly.

"So Tsubaki was Kagome's half-sister, bent on revenge because she was given up and Kagome wasn't?" Ayame asked.

"That's basically the gist of it. But it wasn't just Tsubaki's need for revenge that made her like that; she was just a broken person. People don't just walk down the street and see someone thinking 'I'm going to kill her.' Now, all of us may joke about it and think of ways to do it but there's something in our minds that has been engrained in our brains since childhood."

"Which is right and wrong," Kagome finished, looking at Inuyasha. "We could go to a person and say 'I'm going to kill you' but won't actually do it because we have a sane part of us that tells us it's wrong and that we can't do it. Then there are other people who say it and actually have the actions behind those words. Those are the people that are broken because they don't have that conscious that separates what they can and can't do."

"Exactly. When Tsubaki learned that her mother was dead, she blamed Kagome. She then blamed Kagome for being kept," Inuyasha continued. "When she saw Kikyo –a dead ringer of Kagome- she felt that anger and her conscious snapped. She broke. After that, she killed in a very programmed way using the age gap and her date of birth to separate when she should kill." Inuyasha took a deep breath. "You see, after the first time she killed five years ago, she decided to make it annual. This year, she killed for the same reasons but what set her off was the sight of Kagome."

"So they were just connected to Kagome then?" Sango asked.

"To Kagome, Tsubaki and Nazuna," Inuyasha corrected. "You see, Yuri used the warehouse last owned by Nazuna's father. Nazuna is Tsubaki's best friend. Kirara caused Nazuna pain after what happened with Shippo."

"Then why kill Nazuna?" Miroku asked. "She was Tsubaki's best friend."

"Nazuna wasn't the intended target," Kagome stated, burying her hands in her lap. "Ami was and that's why Nazuna's body was found there. Somehow, Nazuna found out that Tsubaki was the killer because the two were close. When Tsubaki realized that Nazuna would give her away, she had no choice but to kill her. Since Ami needed to suffer as well, she left Nazuna's body in her apartment. What Tsubaki didn't expect though was by putting the body there she helped us, in a way. Once Ami became traumatized, the locked door to her latent abilities opened, and she became psychic, helping us in the end."

"And now Tsubaki is dead," Kagura stated.

"Yes," Inuyasha nodded. "She's gone. Claimed her dead at the sight."

"Then there's no more worries," Miroku said happily. "Evil lost; good won."

"One of the very few happily ever afters," Kagome said. "Finally Kikyo was able to move on."

"Kikyo?" Inuyasha asked slowly. "What do you mean?"

Kagome shrugged and smiled. "My imaginary friend came to visit me. She told me you would come, she kept me alive and she told me her name. Tsubaki's first victim didn't want to see everything lost, so she came to me, hoping that I could fix it."

"Can you still hear the voices Kagome?" Miroku asked.

"Oh yeah," Kagome answered breezily. "But they're not as loud as before."

"Hey Kagome," Inuyasha announced suddenly, turning to face her. "Are you going to finish it?"

"Finish what?" Kagome asked, cocking a brow.

"The book. You have the three books, but they all end on the forth. Your story. Do you think you'll ever finish it?"

Kagome thought about it for a moment. "You know what, I think I will."

"Well now that that's all settled," Kagura said, looking at her silver watch. "We have to go. Our limo will be here any moment."

"Leaving in style?"

"There's a lot more room," Sesshomaru told them and saluted the group before leading Kagura out of the door.

"We're going to head out too," Kouga said, tugging at Ayame's arm. "Bye Kagome, bye Chief. See you both."

Ayame waved goodbye and soon, only Miroku, Sango, Kagome and Inuyasha were left. They talked for a little bit longer, mostly about what happened and what they were planning on doing. Eventually though, Sango and Miroku left to get ready for dinner, leaving the couple all alone.

Inuyasha sighed and sat down on the side of her bed, resting a hand on her stomach. "So are you excited?"

"For what? Being bored?" Kagome asked, rolling her eyes. "Oh yippee."

"No," Inuyasha said, smirking like the devil. "For going home."

Kagome's face lit up like a bulb and she jolted up, throwing her arms around his neck. "Thank you!" she squealed. "My God, I don't know what I'd do without you."

"I know, I know," Inuyasha joked, that smirk still in place. But soon, it was wiped away, turning back into a slightly serious one. "So Miss Writer, how is your story going to end?"

"The way it should," Kagome murmured. "The guy gets her girl."

"Oh? And how does he do that?"

Kagome smiled. "Well, first he'd take her hands and kiss them and then go on in this short but sweet speech about the last three Hell weeks and then how much he realized he loved her. And then, if I want to be really dramatic, he'll start rambling on about the future: marriage, kids, eternal happiness… The whole shebang."

Taking Kagome's hands, Inuyasha lifted them to his lips and kissed them. "Well Kagome, this past month has been Hell. A crazy woman bent on revenge on her half-sister, killing three girls, scaring a town shitless… It's amazing we made it through."

"But we did," Kagome agreed, grasping Inuyasha's hand tighter. "It was difficult, but we did it."

Inuyasha shook his head and looked at Kagome for a moment, taking in every feature on her face: her brown eyes, her stubborn jaw, pale skin, arched brows and full lips. Slowly, he leaned down so his lips were only inches from her own.

"Kagome?"

"Mmhmm?" Kagome mumbled.

"I love you."

Kagome smiled and let go of his hands, wrapping them around his neck and bringing him close enough so that their foreheads touched. "I love you too."

They kissed and when they broke away, Inuyasha put on goofy smirk. "So did I do it right?"

Kagome laughed. "Yes but you forgot about the promises of the future."

"Oh yes."

"You know…the marriage."

"When you're not on a crappy hospital bed and somewhere where everyone can see that I'm with you love."

"And then there're the kids…"

"Eventually."

"And you can't forget eternal happiness."

Inuyasha snorted. "Well, I can't do that one. That's for you to decide."

Kagome played with his silver hair and then pulled him close again. "I think I can manage that."

Inuyasha smiled and then kissed her, knowing that this truly was, a happily ever after.

_**The End.

* * *

**_

**_There we go! My second story is over and done with! On to the next! I have two stories coming up. Already, I have the story posted called Loyal Traitor. It's a romance/ humour/ action adventure fic and is done completely in Kagome's POV. If you'd like to read it, go to my profile and you'll find it. _**

**_Then after the first chapter is put up, I'm probably going to post Just Missed the Train which is a major multi-genre. It's romance/ humour/ angst/ action adventure/ mystery and horror. I have the summaries for both stories posted on my profile._**

**_Alright, now I want to thank all of you SO much. I'm amazed at how well this story turned out, despite the fact that I originally didn't like it. If you have any questions feel free to ask and I promise I'll respond. You guys are the best!_**

_**Luv lots, **_

_**WitchyGirl**_


	29. Sneak Peek: Ordinary

_**So, I was sitting, doing absolutely nothing when all of a sudden, something that hasn't happened in a million years occurred!**_

_**STORY IDEA!**_

_**And better yet, a sequal to Imaginary. That's right. Kagome, Inuyasha and the rest of my lovely little friends are coming back to haunt you. And this mystery is going to be just as fun as the other. **_

_**Please Note: This is a sneak peek. I'm hoping to have this up soon but I would like to finish Loyal Traitor if possible first. But here is a page from the prologue I've already written.**_

_**Enjoy!**_

* * *

**_Ordinary_**

_Sneak Peek_

* * *

She thought it had been a normal night. Nice and normal. Clean and simple.

"I know, love. I'll be home soon."

"_I miss you. Why not leave and come home now?_"

His voice… She loved the sound of it. Deep and masculine. Strong and secure.

"I wish," she laughed, tucking a blonde strand of hair behind her ear. "It's only two more days."

"_Two more days? That long?_"

She laughed, knowing he was acting up to make her feel better. She never liked being alone. Isolated and single. Frozen and terrified.

**And with good reason.**

"Look babe, it's two in the morning. I have to sleep."

He chuckled at the other end. "_Oh, I know. I do too. Sleep well love. I'll talk to you in the morning_."

"Good night," she whispered, smiling. "I love you."

"_I love you too._"

The soft click told her that she was now alone in the small hotel room. And alone, she turned off the lamp light and snuggled deep under the covers.

**That won't hide you.**

She took a deep breath, feeling the cool sheets against her face.

**You've been a bad girl.**

**A bad, bad girl.**

She didn't even have time to scream.

* * *

She thought it was a normal night. Nice and normal. Clean and simple.

"I know, love. I'll be home soon."

"_Damn right you will be. I miss you._"

His voice… She loved the sound of it. Deep and masculine. Strong and secure.

"Damn right," she laughed, tucking a raven strand of hair behind her ear. "It's only four more days."

"_Four more days? Woman, I better see you in half that time."_

She laughed, knowing that he was acting up because it was his sole way of hiding his emotions. But she knew better. Far better.

**And with good reason. **

Something was wrong.

"_Babe?_"

"Hmm?" she said, taking a moment to collect herself. It was nothing. Absolutely nothing. "Oh sorry. I'm just so tired I'm practically half-asleep now. I should probably go to bed."

He hesitated but then chuckled lightly. "_Yeah I do too. This town is too small, with limited excitement. Tires the hell out of me._"

"Good night," she whispered, smiling. "I love you."

"_I love you too. Remember, two days and I better be seeing your face_."

The soft click told her that she was now alone in the small hotel room. And alone, she turned off the lamp light and snuggled deep under the covers.

**That won't hide you.**

She took a deep breath, feeling the cool sheets against her face. She wasn't going to listen. She couldn't listen. Wouldn't listen.

**You've been a bad girl.**

His voice sung sweetly like a lullaby. And then there was the echo behind that lullaby, like the harmony to the melodic line, chanting and soothing.

**A bad, bad girl.**

It happened so fast she didn't even know what to do. All of a sudden, the harmony grew louder. The song, so loud, it cried in her ear and what was worse, the booming voice whispering taunts of violence and pain.

So loud.

It was getting so loud.

_We're baaaaackkkkk…_

She didn't even have time to scream.

* * *

**_I would really appreciate any comments, ideas or feedback for this. If no one really wants the story, I'm not going to bother posting it. _**

**_Please send me your thoughts, via review, personal message or email._**

**_Loves,_**

**_WitchyGirl99_**


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